The Motor Neurone Disease Association of Queensland Inc. (MND Queensland) along with the North Brisbane and Caboolture Support Group hosted the second annual Walk to D-Feet MND Redcliffe on Sunday 13 October at Suttons Beach Park. It was a beautiful, cool and sunny day out with 185 walkers coming together to pay tribute to someone battling Motor Neurone Disease (MND) or remembering a loved one lost to this devastating neurodegenerative disease.
At the time of writing almost $15,500 has been raised through the event. This is a huge jump from last year’s event which raised around $7,000 and well over this year’s goal of raising $10,000. Every dollar raised will assist MND Queensland to provide support and services to Queenslanders diagnosed with MND and their families such as the MND Advisory Service (information, advice and referrals) as well as a low-cost Equipment Program (equipment ranging from manual and electric wheelchairs through to hi-tech eye-gaze communication devices).
Luke Howarth MP was a special guest and spoke at the commencement of the walk. There were awards for our top fundraising team (Team McMahon who have raised almost $3,500) our highest fundraising individual (Amanda Wyvill who raised $322) as well as top dog, and others.
Last Thursday MND Queensland also received some great news… their registration to provide Support Coordination under the NDIS was accepted. So along with their Equipment Program which also operates under the NDIS, they will be able to provide people with MND specialist support to ensure they are getting the most out of their NDIS packages.
There are over 2,000 Australians living with MND, and around two more are diagnosed with MND each day, and sadly, two people die every day from MND. There is no known cause and no cure. Organisations like MND Queensland provide vital services and support to help people living with MND; and these events help us raise vital funds and let the families and communities whose lives have been touched by this cruel disease to come together to honour those they love.
MND Queensland’s Fundraising and Communications Manager Jason Russo commented “With only 7% of our work being funded by the government, and this funding disappearing in mid-2020, events like the Walk to D-Feet MND are really important fundraisers for MND Queensland. We rely on community fundraising efforts so that we can provide Queenslanders affected by MND with support, advice and equipment - such as wheelchairs and communication devices - and also fund research into finding the cause, and a cure, for MND.”
For more information about MND or the services that MND Queensland provides, please visit www.mndaq.org.au.