A Wandering Mind on April 15th

My mind has been wandering all day today... it's April 15th- a date that brings with it some milestones...

For many, April 15th is synonymous with #TaxDay. Maybe the culmination of 4 grueling months for CPAs, a big refund, or maybe the day you write a check to Uncle Sam.

Today is also #OneBostonDay

My mind wanders back to that day when Melissa was running her first Boston Marathon in 2013. She had inspired to raise money for the ALS Association after our friend, Pete Frates, had been diagnosed with #LouGehrigsDisease. 7 years younger, nothing could have prepared us for how that day would unfold. As my family, Melissa's family, and her best friend, and best friend's mother and I waited near the finish line we tracked her progress. Donning the yellow volunteer jacket, handing out cups of gatorade while patting my pocket hoping I hadn't lost the ring, time ticked by. Melissa was a mile out when the blasts occurred. A touch of good fortune pushed up back 100' from the finish line; it would make a better camera shot for the media. You know the rest.....

For me, that day in 2013 is still characterized by good deeds and the positive qualities that Boston displayed on that day. The soldiers in fatigues that had just rucked across the finish line were the first to run towards the blast. The medical volunteers with white jackets running upstream with strollers, wheelchairs, med-kits. The strangers opening their doors to strangers to get them off the street, sheltered, and fed. Helping get medical attention to a man hyperventilating in panic while looking for his wife. Thousands of people experiencing a terrorists attack, having no answers, but trying to help their fellow man. My two friends that picked us up on the walk back to South Boston, saving a member of our group who was pushing the limits of a pacemaker. The friends who gathered at our house to celebrate our engagement (she said yes, and I proposed in the living room when Melissa got home). So many more positive stories and some too graphic to share...

Flash forward 7 years later...

Pete passed in December, the #IceBucketChallenge swept the world by storm, sorely needed funding is helping fuel research for a treatment, ALS still has no effective cure...... there's a global pandemic.

Pete set the foundation for this crusade, but we need to carry the water the rest of the way. One way that mission continues is raising money and awareness for #ALS. Now that Pete is gone, it's on the rest of us to carry his legacy, for he was the best of us...

Pete Frates and is battle inspired Melissa to run 7-years ago as Team Frate Train was just beginning. Pete showed us that anybody can change the world, facing any adverse circumstance, but it's more effective when you have a big team fueling that train.

Pete's Affirmation:

• Be Passionate
• Be Genuine
• Be Hardworking
• And don't ever be afraid to be great!!

One way that I've tried to support Pete's mission is by placing my hefty frame on a little tiny bicycle with an even smaller seat to pedal through MA, CT and NY, participating in the ALS Therapy Development Institute's Tri-State Trek. Leading a team for 5 of the past 7 years, the goal was for 2020 to rekindle the fire Pete lit. With Pete's passing, it's important that Team Frate Train stays on track.

Due to the risks presented by the coronavirus, this year's ride is being switched to a virtual ride. Whether it's donating, joining the team, spreading the message, or your own idea, your support would me a lot.

Please take a moment for personal reflection today. If the desire strikes, donate to a worthy cause, support a local business, check in with a loved one, or any other #actofkindness.

If you stayed around to read the whole thing, thank you! Help me keep the #FrateTrain chug chug chugging along!

No Ride can't mean No Research - https://tst.als.net/aruggiero

More about Pete and his foundation: https://petefrates.com/

#pf3 #teamfratetrain #OneBoston #strikeoutALS