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Mayor Mike Spano and City Council President Liam McLaughlin, along with Yonkers native and Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder Pat Quinn, will host the event beginning at 1 p.m. trackside at Empire City Casino.
The free festivities will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.and will include music and family-friendly entertainment; highlighted by the ice bucket challenge at 1 p.m.
Quinn, 33, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in March 2013, will lead hundreds of participants in a simultaneous ice bucket challenge to reignite the viral social media movement throughout the month of August to benefit ALS research.
"I'm beyond grateful for the continued support from Mayor Mike Spano, City Council President Liam McLaughlin, and the entire City of Yonkers," Quinn said. " I'm extremely proud to know 'Quinn for the Win and Yonkers,' were a major catalyst in making this happen. We live by the mantra, ‘Every August Until A Cure.’
"Although last summer did wonders for our battle, we still have no cure for ALS. Please join me August 7 at Empire City Casino to kick off the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in Yonkers. Not only will it be fun, you will be a part of something special," he added.
This is the second year Empire City Casino has supported the challenge providing the event venue, manpower, hundreds of gallons of water, and 2,000 pounds of ice to make the event a reality.
Participants will receive a bucket, donated by Home Depot, filled with ice water and join Quinn in simultaneously dumping the buckets of ice water over their heads.
“Pat Quinn’s fight and determination to combat this horrible disease has been nothing short of inspirational,” said Spano. “With Pat as our fearless leader, the City of Yonkers hopes to recharge the energy we feel as part of the Ice Bucket Challenge. We encourage any and all to join us on August 7 so we can continue to make strides in finding a cure to ALS.”
Those interested in participating are urged to register at www.YonkersNY.gov. The event is free and open to all ages. No donation is required to participate. Proceeds from the event will be donated to “Quinn for the Win,” which benefits Pat Quinn’s care, as well as not-for-profit ALS research organizations.
ALS, often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," because it claimed the life of the New York Yankees legend, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. They can lose the ability to easily handle simple tasks like shaving or buttoning a shirt. In the later stages of the disease, patients may become completely paralyzed.
ALS usually strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70, and approximately 20,000 Americans suffer from the disease.
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