About fifteen prominent community members, including The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, will take the icy plunge this weekend to raise much needed funds for Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
And with the forecast tipped to be a frosty 16 degrees in Mildura on Saturday, the brave participants will certainly feel the chill.
Ms Benham said when she was approached by local Mia Collicoat, who is hosting the inaugural “Big Freeze at the P”, it was a no-brainer to say yes.
“While no one relishes the thought of being plunged into thirty bags of ice in this weather, I can’t think of a better cause to do it for,” Ms Benham said.
“MND is an insidious disease, it wreaks havoc on the lives of its sufferers and when Mia asked me to help in her fundraising efforts, I jumped at the chance.
“I’m really asking the community to dig deep to support the cause, there’s some fabulous items up for grabs too, including the toboggan used in last years’ Big Freeze 9, signed by surfer Mick Fanning and Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne among others.
“I’ve also got an Australian Open towel signed by my friend and colleague Sam Growth to include in the auction. It’s such a worthwhile cause and every little bit counts.”
Ms Collicoat said the inspiration for her fundraising efforts was her mother Helen, who was diagnosed with MND late last year.
“I’m determined to help raise funds to find new treatments for this terrible disease,” Ms Collicoat said.
“I want fewer people to ever have to face an MND diagnosis, and I think the best way to do that is to raise funds for leading MND charity, FightMND.”
Ms Benham and her counterparts will slide into the ice water at half time during the seniors game between South Mildura and Red Cliffs this Saturday 01 June at the Mildura Sporting Precinct.
To find out more, or to donate, visit:https://hub.fightmnd.org.au/fundraise-for-fightmnd/helsys-big-freeze-2024/
