Pete Frates and Ray Bourque had a connection long before they met.
Growing up in Beverly, Frates – the warrior against ALS who succumbed to the insidious disease in 2019 – was a huge fan of the Bruins’ star and had a poster of the defenseman in his room. The two also shared a birthday, Dec. 28.
“His birthday fell during school vacation week and I’d always go in and say, ‘happy birthday, Pete’ when he was a little boy,” said Nancy Frates, Pete’s mother. “And he would always say, ‘mom, say happy birthday to Ray.’ ”
Little did they know at that point how intertwined the families would become and still are, seven years after Pete’s passing. And on Oct. 1, Ray and Christiane Bourque will hold their fifth annual Captain’s Ball in honor of Frates, with proceeds going to the Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Peter Frates ALS Foundation and the Bourque Family Foundation.
The event, to be held at Agganis Arena at 7 p.m., is black tie optional and tickets are $200, which include a sponsored bar, food, live and silent auctions, and live music.
The Frates and Bourque families have developed a tight friendship going back to when Pete was first diagnosed.
He told his parents that one of the people he would like to meet was Bourque. Being a hockey player through his youth as well as a baseball player who played at Boston College, he had interacted with him at a couple of events but had not really gotten to know him.
So Nancy and her husband John got to work and through some of their North Shore connections. They arranged to meet on a night Bourque was going to be in his restaurant, Tresca, in the North End where he was going to be with a group of friends.
“He walked upstairs and you wouldn’t have known that he was just diagnosed,” recalled Bourque.
Bourque came over to say hello and chat for a few minutes with the family before returning to his table.
From left, Josh Kraft, Sam Kennedy, Gov. Maura Healey, Pete Frates’ father John Frates, Matt Ryan and Ray Bourque dump buckets over their heads during the 10th anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2024 at Fenway Park. Nancy Lane/Boston Herald
“But then I saw Ray get up and come back over to the table, take a chair and sit right next to Pete. And the two of them just talked. And that was the beginning of it,” said Nancy Frates. “I saw Ray and Pete develop this bond and this friendship. Since that meeting, all the events we were known for, Ray was always right there. He would come to visit Pete at the house and just be Ray Bourque. Those of us in Boston know exactly who Ray Bourque is and being of my age, I always reflect on the night for Phil Esposito and Ray taking his jersey off and giving it to Phil. And that’s who Ray is at his core. He’s a wonderful, compassionate, kind person.”
With Bourque already involved in the world of philanthropy, he and Pete put their heads together that night to come up with fundraiser ideas.
“We had a big hockey game at BU and it went very well. Then Pete had the Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral that raised almost $300 million for ALS and brought up a lot of awareness and funds to ALS research,” said Bourque. “We always supported what they were doing in different things and different events that they were doing. I had created my own foundation. We had a walk, then a run and then we had a golf tournament. We had that for quite a few years. Then my wife asked if we could have something that had nothing to do with sports where the girls could get all dressed up and have a night. Pre-Covid, it was called the Black and White Gala and the funds went to the Melmark School for autism. We did their gym at the school the first year. Then Covid hit and we were canceled for bit. Then during that time, Pete had passed. Then my wife and I approached John and Nancy and asked if our next ball or event could be in memory of Pete.”
Nancy Frates said that she and her husband were “overwhelmed” by the gesture from the Bourques. The work continues and the Frates family has maintained the passion that Pete instilled in them in fighting the disease that is still afflicting far too many people.
“He said, ‘We’re going to change the trajectory of this disease,’ ” said Nancy Frates. “He was a visionary. He saw the state of ALS and not having much progress in the way of research and he wanted to change that. It’s what a leader is.”
She was looking forward to continuing the battle at the Captain’s Ball.
She said: “It’s a night of remembrance, a night of camaraderie, a night of hope and a night of furthering Pete’s mission to fight this disease.”
For ticket info, visit https://pro.gofundme.com/event/2026-the-captains-ball-in-honor-of-pete-frates/e790040.
Anyone interested in donating auction items, contact info@bourquefamilyfoundation.