Drysdale Football Netball Club is hoping to raise $100,000 at its second Big Freeze event next month.
The club raised about $60,000 at its inaugural event last year with 15 local identities sliding down into the icy water to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease.
Drysdale player James Breust is MND Big Freeze founder Neale Daniher’s nephew and the cause is close to his heart.
“Last year was unbelievable, the sea of people and beanies was a great day raising over $60,000 for FMND was pretty special,” he said.
The club has announced its first ‘slider’ for this year’s June 4 slide, City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan. Further sliders will be announced in the coming weeks.
Sam Moorfoot helped raise more than $15,000 last year and will have a ‘Sammy’s choice’ where he gets to pick a slider himself.
“Sam raised a stellar amount last year, and he gets his ‘Sammy’s pick’,” Breust said.
“I’ve been trying to get some hints out of him at who it will be, but he’s pretty tight lipped.”
While Breust will be playing in the main game against Newcomb, he said he was able to blend in with the crowd for some of last year’s festivities before the match and hoped to do so again.
“It was nice last year, just before the warm up I was able to pop over and just nestled into the crowd,” he said.
“We brought it all together in a few weeks last year, now that we’ve had a good time to plan we have a Big Freeze army behind it now.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Big Freeze at the MCG before the traditional Collingwood vs Melbourne match.
Breust said his uncle Neale, who has MND, is an inspiration.
“It’s coming into his 10th year since being diagnosed which in itself is amazing,” he said.
“He’s amazing and still travelling well. He’s a fighter. He doesn’t sit back and feel sorry for himself.”
Breust said the best way to donate to the Big Freeze was to head to fightmnd.org.au or buy a Big Freeze beanie.
Last year’s game attracted 2000 spectators and organisers are hoping to double that this time around.
Drysdale’s Big Freeze is on Sunday June 4 from 12.30pm at Mortimer Oval, Drysdale.
