Ice bucket challenge co-founder Patrick Quinn dies at 37

Patrick Quinn, whose personal battle with ALS helped power the Ice Bucket Challenge fundraising campaign, died on Sunday (November 22) at age 37, seven years after his diagnosis.

Quinn, who was born and grew up in Yonkers, New York, was co-founder of the campaign that raised more than $220 million for medical research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, his Facebook page said.

He was diagnosed with ALS, also known as motor neurone disease, on March 8, 2013, according to his Facebook page.

"We are deeply saddened to share that Pat Quinn, co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge passed away at the age of 37," the ALS Association said in a tweet on Sunday.

"He will be missed, but he will continue to inspire us until we have a world without ALS," it further read.

Condolences to the Quinn family poured in on social media, with many expressing gratitude for the spotlight he drew to the disease and the need to find a cure.

The Ice Bucket Challenge went viral on social media in the summer of 2014, when people around the world posted videos and photos of themselves dumping buckets of ice water on their heads and challenging others to do the same while urging donations for ALS research.

Roughly 12,000 to 15,000 Americans may have ALS, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 5% to 10% of ALS cases are believed to be hereditary, but the cause is unknown and there is no cure.

Among Quinn's many honours for raising awareness of ALS and promoting research was a nomination with fellow ALS activist Peter Frates as 'Person of the Year' by Time magazine. Frates died last year at age 34, seven years after his diagnosis.