A SWAN Hill team is driving fundraising efforts to help find a cure for the debilitating motor neurone disease (MND).
Team Mez, comprising John Spong, Tony Kiel, Al McKelvie and George Fraser, took part in last month’s annual Daniher’s Drive.
The annual event is held by FightMND over four days to raise awareness and funds to fight MND.
FightMND was founded by former Australian Football League footballer and coach Neale Daniher, who was diagnosed with MND in 2013.
Mr Spong’s wife, Mary, died from the disease in 2017.
“Our group in Swan Hill (Team MEZ) have raised nearly $40,000 in two years,” he said.
The drive commenced at Werribee Zoo, through small towns including Lorne, Creswick, Heathcote, Nagambie,Wangaratta, Marysville, finishing at Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula.
“We might be there for a couple of hours and have a bit of a function, handball, kicking the footy and raising money,” Mr Spong said.
“School children come to it; it might be in the town hall or down at the park.
“They’re enormous days.”
He said the total disance travelled was 1500 kilometres, averaging about 350km per day.
Mr Spong said what he loved most about the experience was the camaraderie and the good friends made along the way.
“You meet the same people every year; they come from all over Australia, Sydney, Adelaide, just to participate in and raise money,” he said.
“Everyone’s on the same page and you swap stories, what you’ve been through, it’s such an inspiration.”
He said to participate, each team must raise $5000, and have a family member suffering from MND.
“Expenses are all paid by the team members, so all money raised goes directly to FightMND,” he said.
Mr Spong’s favourite part of this year’s trip was the heroes and villains night, held on the last night.
“Everyone dresses up. Last year it was hippies, and this year we went as heroes and villains,” Mr Spong said.
“It’s just so funny seeing people dressed up and you don’t even recognise them.”
Team Mez hold fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for FightMND.
Mr Spong’s three daughters, Peta Lyn Zucco, Lisa King and Jo McAlviem, assist in organising the events.
Jo is a research doctor with Austin Health in Bendigo.
Support meetings for Team Mez are held in Swan Hill on the first Sunday of every second month.
“People that suffer from it come to our meetings and they’re a bit dubious, they’re sort of suffering and we just offer them support,” Mr Spong said.
“For instance, if they’re diagnosed with it they’ve got to get to Melbourne for treatment and that.
“We can support them there and tell them where to go and can help give people information that we’ve received along the way and just support them throughout the journey.”
Mr Spong said MND was a horrible disease.
“Once they’re diagnosed with it, it can be a long-term illness, it can go for four or five years, or it can go for two years,” he said.
This year was the fifth Daniher’s Drive, raising a total of $10.7 million, with $3.1 million raised this year alone.
“It’s an enormous feeling and it’s just gratifying,” Mr Spong said of his team’s contribution to the total.
“I was only going to do it for one year, but once you’ve done it once, you just want to get back into it (Daniher’s Drive).”
Team Mez will be back on the road for next year’s event.
“I’d just like to acknowledge the people that have helped our team, our sponsors, and people who have helped on raffles,” Mr Spong said.
“Before Neale Daniher had motor neurone, no-one knew anything about it, but because he’s a high profile sportsman, it’s on the television, it’s in the newspapesrs all the time.”
“When we started selling raffle tickets for the first year, people were saying is that the Neale Daniher cause, so it’s awareness.”
