By Callum Ludwig
Warburton resident Lachie Pitman is no stranger to supporting the Variety Children’s Charity, but his latest fundraiser extended the support to a second cause.
On Thursday 30 May, a few special guests from the halls of AFL history took to the Warburton Golf Club course to raise money for not only the Variety Children’s Charity but also FightMND.
Mr Pitman said he’s done 20 Variety Bashes as of this year but this year he will also do the Daniher Drive.
“Terry Daniher is a good mate, so we’ve got a couple of things here we’re auctioning off for MND, so it’s a double whammy today,” he said.
“You’re lucky if you have good health, I was a banker in an old life and my old boss said you only go as far as your health takes you, he was 50 and had a heart attack the next day so I remembered to never forget that.”
AFL Hall of Famer Terry Daniher, brother of fellow AFL footballer and the founder and co-patron of FightMND Neale Daniher AO, took part in the golf day, also joined by ex-Tiger and Magpie David Cloke, ex-Magpie Denis Banks and ex-Magpie and Bomber Peter Bradbury.
Mr Daniher said it’s been fantastic from the foundation’s point of view to see local events in support popping up.
“The football and netball clubs have been terrific in a lot of the country areas and even suburban areas and the amount of trouble they go to, as Neale’s always quoted, ‘It’s all about having a bit of fun in fundraising’,” he said.
“It’s an incurable disease at the moment, we’re trying to knock it on the head and we’re not going to be able to do it with just the support from all the city people, but all the country folk and the financial support of the bigger sponsors.”
The Variety Children’s Charity provides grants and scholarships or hosts programs and events to support children living with illness, disability or facing other disadvantages, having given over $2 billion in value since its inception.
Following Neale Daniher being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2013, he founded FightMND, the annual Big Freeze at the G’ event and later the Daniher Drive to help raise awareness and fund research into finding effective treatments and a cure for the debilitating disease.
Mr Pitman said he knows a couple of other friends who were diagnosed with MND and died 20 to 30 years ago as well.
“It’s a terrible disease to get and Neale Daniher has been an unbelievable advocate for MND, he’s put it on the map,” he said.
“I’m auctioning off a print signed by the four Daniher brothers for this and also another one at the event in Emerald in a few days as well but back when they all signed this print, they didn’t want any money to sign it,”
“Whereas many sportsmen want 50 bucks or 20 bucks for a signature, the four Danihers gave their time, signed it willingly, and all the family pitched in many hours for no remuneration at all which always impressed me.”
A ‘Hills MND Big Freeze’ on Sunday 2 June at the Paradise Valley Hotel has also attracted support from both the local community and AFL names, with North Melbourne’s Jaidyn Stephenson and Hawthorn’s Dylan Moore set to slide while Carlton’s Harry McKay and Essendon’s Ben McKay have each supplied guernseys signed by their respective teams to be auctioned.
Mr Daniher said a lot of people behind the scenes continue to put a lot of effort into the cause, including Neale himself, his daughter Becky, his wife Jan and the Melbourne Football Club, creating a solid foundation to keep growing.
“Through the broadcasting, you hear a lot of the stories about young people and the old ones, because MND can get anyone, so I think Neale will be sitting back pretty happy with the way that it’s all come about,” he said.
“But he realises there’s still a lot of work to be done, he’s got to continue to be inventive, trying new ways and trying to keep the foundation going and he’s going to keep chipping away at it until we can find a cure.”
