Sad News: 46-year-old Anthony Senerchia lost his 14-year battle with ALS over the weekend. He was one of the main forces behind the Ice Bucket Challenge that raised $115 million back in 2014.
“He worked tirelessly to raise awareness for ALS and was directly responsible for the world-renowned Ice bucket challenge,” his obituary said, calling him “a fireball who tried everything in life.”
Senerchia was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2003.
“It’s a difficult disease and tough when you’re losing,” his wife, Jeanette, told the Journal News Media Group. “Your body is failing you. But he was a fighter… He was our light. He made our life better.”
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral and raised $115 million during two months in 2014 — money that went largely to fund research. And Anthony Senerchia played a significant role in getting it started.