Team Frosty
February 27, 2026
Michael “Frosty” Foster has always been known as the life of the party – happy-go-lucky, honest, and fiercely loyal to the people around him. A lifelong athlete and competitor, Frosty grew up as the youngest of three boys, where sports weren’t just extracurriculars; they were a way of life. From soccer and basketball to beach volleyball and golf, movement, camaraderie, and friendly competition shaped who he was long before ALS entered his story.
The nickname “Frosty” came years earlier, during his first weekend after moving from Memphis to Los Angeles. While playing a competitive game of beach volleyball, a teammate accidentally yelled “Get it, Frosty!” instead of “Foster” as Michael dove for the ball, wiping out in the sand. Covered in sand from head to toe, the name was a natural fit.
In late 2020, Frosty began noticing subtle changes. His right hand was growing weaker, making it harder to use a computer mouse during his work in software sales. What began as routine medical visits led to months of testing, including hand specialists, imaging, and nerve studies, until he was referred to Cedars-Sinai. On January 27, 2021, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Frosty received the diagnosis: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
The news was devastating. The following day, Frosty and his wife spent hours meeting with a full care team, repeatedly hearing the same message: go home, spend time with family, get organized, and plan and prepare for the worst. Doctors told Frosty he likely had two to five years to live.
They waited a couple of weeks before telling their daughters, who were then just 8 and 10. They took time to research, to plan, and braced themselves for the conversation. Telling them was one of the hardest moments of Frosty’s life. But even in the shock and grief, something else began to take shape.
Frosty’s community rallied.
Just weeks after his diagnosis, a close friend organized a group of more than 50 people to march alongside Frosty and his family in the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade. They called themselves Team Frosty. What began as a spontaneous show of support quickly grew into something much bigger.
Today, Team Frosty is a thriving, community-driven nonprofit. Each year, more than 100 people march together in the parade – the largest group in it – and supporters now number in the hundreds. Local businesses and national brands alike have stepped forward, asking simply, “How can we help?” Events like the Frosty Olympics, a large beachside cornhole tournament, raise funds and awareness while keeping joy, humor, and connection at the center of everything they do.
That joy is intentional. “Keep Frosty Smiling” has become a guiding mantra, a reminder that even in the face of ALS, community, laughter, and shared purpose matter. For Frosty, sports and friendly competition have always brought people together. Now, they also bring visibility to a disease that too often remains misunderstood.
Over time, Team Frosty’s mission has expanded beyond supporting the Foster family. The organization now helps other families living with ALS, provides direct financial assistance, and connects people to trusted resources, including organizations like Target ALS, to help them navigate a diagnosis that can feel overwhelming and isolating.
Frosty doesn’t see himself as an inspiration. He sees himself as someone doing his best to survive, to adapt, and to give back what he’s learned along the way. Every day with ALS requires adjustment. Every stage introduces new challenges. But surrounded by his family, his chosen community, and a growing network of supporters, Frosty continues to move forward, not alone, but together. For that and much more, Frosty and his wife, Julie, and their daughters are incredibly grateful to their friends, family, and community.
And in that shared momentum, he is helping others see what’s possible when urgency meets compassion, and when a community refuses to let anyone face ALS on their own.
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