Hockey legend Ray Bourque may not seem to have much in common with pro baseball players Sal Frelick and John West besides an enduring love of sports. But dig deeper, and you'll discover they're all bound by a mission that transcends the game: advancing the fight against ALS. Each is deeply involved with our VB Gives Back partner, the Peter Frates ALS Foundation, drawn in by a personal connection to the cause. Learn their stories here.
Peter Frates may have played baseball for Boston College, but he was just as enamored with hockey growing up—and counted Bourque, NHL Hall of Famer and captain of his hometown team, as a childhood idol. Years later, the two finally met when Frates, newly diagnosed with ALS, refereed an alumni game Bourque was in. The bond was instant, and they stayed close through the years.
After Frates passed away in 2019, Bourque was determined to keep his memory alive. His nonprofit, the Bourque Family Foundation, supports various community initiatives and now includes ALS as a core focus. Fundraisers range from benefit hockey games to an annual Captain’s Ball, with proceeds going directly to research and care.
"Pete’s spirit, resilience, and leadership inspired everyone around him—including me," says Bourque. "His example drives me to stay committed, stay vocal, and continue supporting the mission he championed. Everything I do in this space is rooted in honoring the way he lived and led."
ALS hits particularly close to home for West—his father passed away from it in 2014. "That experience shaped our lives forever," he recalls. "Watching someone you love lose the ability to eat, sleep, walk, talk, and live before your eyes leaves a mark that never goes away."
He still remembers the day he first heard about Frates. West was 12, watching the news with his dad—who was in the late stages of ALS—when coverage of the Ice Bucket Challenge hit. Suddenly, a disease they had been quietly battling was a national conversation.
After attending Boston College and playing for the Eagles—just like Frates—West is now pitching for the Hillsboro Hops, an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, while using his platform to further raise awareness and funds. "We stand with every family who’s walked, or is walking, a similar road," he says. Offering advice to those navigating the same path he once did, he adds: "The memories you create now will carry you through the hardest parts of ALS and beyond. Build a strong support system, lean on it and, above all, face this disease head-on with courage, love, and unshakable faith."
Frelick was in middle school when he did the Ice Bucket Challenge. He never imagined that, in a few years, he would call the person behind it a good friend. He, too, went on to join the Eagles at BC. By then, Frates was serving as the team's director of baseball operations.
"While Pete was the one diagnosed with ALS, it was always others he was worried about," says Frelick, pointing to BC’s Mentor Night, which Frates founded to connect students with alumni. "It is still mind-blowing to think that he was looking out for all the future Eagles over himself. This selflessness is what will stick with me the most about Pete."
Frelick continues to carry Frates' legacy, even as he's graduated to the major leagues. Watch him in action for the Milwaukee Brewers, and you'll notice his glove has a “PF3 K-ALS” patch. The first half nods to Frates and his jersey number; the rest represents the goal—strike out ALS.
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.
