Iona Alum Pat Quinn Will Give Posthumous Commencement Address

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Iona alumnus and ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder, Pat Quinn, will give the keynote address at Iona College graduation ceremonies six months after his death.

Quinn's pre-recorded remarks will be a part of the school's virtual commencement ceremonies on May 23. The pre-recorded message will pull curated remarks from Quinn's motivational talks over the years.

The Yonkers resident who co-founded the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, died on Nov. 22 at age 37. He was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease seven years before his death.

Quinn saw an Ice Bucket Challenge on the social media feed of the friends of Anthony Senerchia from Pelham. He and fellow ALS patient Pete Frates popularized the challenge as a fundraiser that swept the globe, eventually raising $115 million for The ALS Association and over $220 million around the world for ALS research.

“Pat Quinn embodied the spirit of Iona College," Iona President Seamus Carey said. "With perseverance and faith, he fought the good fight and proved to the world that one individual can make a profound difference. As we celebrate the remarkable Class of 2021 and all of their many accomplishments, we do so knowing that they will carry forth the Iona legacy of service, opportunity and the transformative power of education. May God continue to bless the path ahead of them.”

Iona will also host two in-person recognition ceremonies on its New Rochelle campus as well as the live-streamed virtual ceremony. The in-person events will take place on Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The scaled-down festivities will each include a procession of roughly 300 graduates and live performances by the Iona College Pipe Band. President Carey and Board of Trustees Chair Patrick Dunican Jr. will speak at the in-person recognitions for graduates.

The ceremony featuring remarks from Pat Quinn will be live-streamed on the Iona College website.