Caroline Hammat
For the third year running Kate Nowak has organised a dunking tank for the Fight MND (Motor Neurone Disease) Big Freeze event during the Hatherleigh A grade football half time break.
This year the event was held during Saturday’s game against Glencoe and has raised $26,082.
“We think there is a bit more to come in from the gate raffle and the football club so it will be a bit bigger than that” Ms Nowak said.
“I honestly didn’t know what money was raised but the dunkers had started on a Facebook page and I think they raised $15 to $16 grand before the day, so that’s amazing.”
Participants for this year’s event were Cameron Atkinson, Mat and Staci Faulkner, Scott Redman, Deon Howell, Peter Mitchell, Ted Peacock and Dasher Young.
Their impressive costumes were on display with Ned Kelly, Steve Irwin and a jar of vegemite making an appearance.
Mat and Staci Faulkner dressed as Kath and Kel and did their dunking as a duo.
All participants were supplied a tin to raise a minimum of $500 for the privilege of facing the dunking tank.
As with previous years Ms Nowak’s father pulled the dunking lever, and Trevor Rayson acted as MC for the event.
Hatherleigh’s A and B grade footballers and A and A Reserve netballers all joined in the fundraising efforts and donned Big Freeze socks for their games.
For at least six years Ms Nowak and her supporters have been raising funds for Fight MND to help fund research into the debilitating disease which affects the nerve cells controlling the muscles.
The campaign is personal for Ms Nowak as her father Reg Hamilton lives with MND for which there is no known cure.
This is the tenth year the national Big Freeze event has been held and the weekend’s funds will go toward the national fundraising target.
