VB Gives Back
to
The Peter Frates ALS Foundation
Flashback to 2014. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took over Facebook and Instagram. Everyone from your next-door neighbors to Taylor Swift to our co-founders Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard joined in, dumping buckets of ice water over their heads and uploading it to their feeds. What looked like a viral stunt was in fact a global movement: 17 million videos, 159 countries, and more than $220 million raised for ALS research and care. On its 10-year anniversary, it was announced that those funds have since been leveraged into more than a $1 billion infusion for ALS research—an impact that continues to grow today.
The fight isn’t over. We’re proud to announce our Q4 VB Gives Back partner: The Peter Frates ALS Foundation. Founded by Nancy Frates in honor of her son Peter—whose ALS diagnosis at just 27 became the driving force behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge—the Foundation helps families shoulder the staggering costs of home health care, so ALS patients can remain where they belong: at home, surrounded by love.
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A Full-Circle Moment
Ten years ago, the Veronicas joined the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge outside our NYC headquarters—an act that inspired the official launch of VB Gives Back. “We were so moved by Peter’s story and how his mother Nancy translated her pain into passion, it made us want to create our own way of paying it forward,” says Veronica Swanson Beard.
Since then, VB Gives Back has donated more than $7M to 700+ organizations. Partnering with the Frates family again is truly a full-circle moment. “Coming back to where this all began is incredibly emotional. Though Peter is no longer with us, his message is louder than ever, thanks to the powerful work of his family. We’re proud to be part of carrying that forward,” adds Veronica Miele Beard.
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Peter’s Story
Peter Frates was a star outfielder and captain of the Boston College baseball team, known as much for his leadership and mentorship as for his talent. After receiving his devastating ALS diagnosis in 2012, he made it his life’s mission to bring awareness to the disease.
Together with his wife Julie, his family, and a community of supporters known as “Team Frate Train,” he devoted himself to raising funds and attention for the cause, becoming the driving force behind the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and an inspiration to millions around the world.
After a seven-year battle with ALS, Peter passed away in 2019 at age 34. Today, his mother Nancy carries on his legacy through The Peter Frates ALS Foundation. Over the next three months, we’ll be sharing more the Foundation’s incredible work—from the stories of grant recipients whose lives have been directly impacted, to Peter’s athlete peers who continue to raise awareness and honor his mission.
Now through the end of December, VB Gives Back will be donating a portion of all VeronicaBeard.com orders to The Peter Frates ALS Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting ALS patients with the financial burden of home health care. Join us in ensuring they can remain where they belong: at home, with dignity, surrounded by their loved ones.