Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts partnered with Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and the family of late Ice Bucket Challenge creator and Yonkers native Pat Quinn to host a large simultaneous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to support those battling the disease on Saturday, Aug. 1, trackside adjacent to Yonkers Raceway.
Community members and local, county and state government elected officials took part in the event. Quinn co-founded the event after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” in 2013. The challenge quickly became a global phenomenon, helping to raise awareness and funds for the progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Prior to the founding of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the United States had only 80 multidisciplinary clinics for ALS. Today, that number has more than tripled, with over 240 clinics available across the country for ALS patients to see all the medical disciplines they need.
The ALS Association awarded more than $2 million in grants to support the continued preclinical development of five emerging ALS therapies earlier in 2025. The Ice Bucket Challenge has also helped encourage more ALS patients to sharing their stories on social media platforms, allowing them to connect with each other from all around the world and spread additional awareness to other communities who may not be as familiar with the disease.
Every year since 2014, Empire City Casino has hosted this annual challenge, with 2020 being the lone exception due to the pandemic. Empire City provides the space, staffing and more than 1,300 pounds of ice. In addition to donating buckets for the event, the City of Yonkers also provides the stage for the challenge.
“We are proud and we are honored that we are able to have this event every year here in this facility,” Pat Quinn Sr. said. “I want to thank you, the ALS community, for showing up, knowing how important this is.”
