ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder announces 2024 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

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Quinn, diagnosed with ALS in 2013 at age 30, co-founded the global phenomenon event in 2014, which generated hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations for ALS research and medical advances to extend the lives of ALS patients.
Photo courtesy Maria Cray

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, and the family of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder and late Yonkers Native Pat Quinn announced the date of the 2024 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge set for Saturday, Aug. 3. The annual event will take place trackside at the historic Yonkers Raceway located at Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Westchester, New York. 

Festivities will begin at 1 p.m. with the ice bucket dump scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Participants should pre-register online at yonkersny.gov/IBC. 

The event, co-founded by Quinn after his diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2013 at the age of 30, became a global phenomenon as more than 17 million people around the world participated in the challenge via social media by dumping buckets of ice water on their heads. The event remains a catalyst for raising funds to support research to identify a cure for the debilitating disease and raise awareness for more research funding.

“ALS ruins families… I’ve seen it. The Yonkers community has been the champion of our family and ALS patients nationwide, especially in the last few years without Pat. My son built such a strong system of support and his Quinn for the Win – Find Your Smile Foundation is nothing short of remarkable,” Patrick Quinn, Sr said. “Pat laid the groundwork to find a cure, and now it’s our job to finish his mission to defeat ALS once and for all. I look forward to seeing everyone on August 3.” 

ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Quinn lost his battle with ALS in November 2020, yet his drive and determination live on through his family, friends, community, and beyond to raise awareness and find a cure for the approximately hundreds of thousands of Americans suffering from ALS. While the prognosis for ALS patients 80 years after Lou Gehrig was diagnosed remains the same, technology now exists to keep those living with ALS alive longer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 5,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with ALS across the U.S. annually.  

Leading the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge for another year is Quinn’s father, who continues to pay tribute to his son and ensure his mission continues. Quinn’s nonprofit organization, Quinn for the Win Find Your Smile Foundation, continues to have a significant impact at both local and national levels. Locally, Quinn for the Win provides cash grants to local ALS patients and their families to offset expenses not covered by medical insurance, as well as providing financial support for organizations that serve families of ALS patients.  

“The city of Yonkers is proud to carry the legacy of Pat Quinn over the last decade,” Spano said. “Every year, I witness the inspirational show of love for Pat and because of him, there is greater hope. We can’t stop now. There are so many families dealing with the devastation of ALS. We are in this every August until we find a cure with our partners at Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts.”


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