By Phil Murton – EFL CEO
Over the last 18 months everyone in football circles has been inspired at the strength and courage shown by Neale Daniher in his fight with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
With son Ben playing at Blackburn, Neale is a regular at EFL games and the Daniher family as a whole have been great supporters of community footy all over Victoria and NSW for a long time. I was fortunate enough to have a chat with Neale at Blackburn’s Season Launch luncheon and you can only have the upmost admiration and respect for what he is doing during a difficult time in raising important money for research and educating the wider public on the effects of this terrible disease.
All EFL players and supporters are urged to get behind the Big Freeze Beanie 2 campaign to raise funds to find a cure for MND. MND, which presently effects 2,000 Australians, does so by destroying nerve cells causing muscles to weaken and eventually die.
Organised by the not for profit Cure for MND Foundation, the Big Freeze 2 official beanie promotion is part of the Big Freeze at the G being held prior to the Melbourne v Collingwood game on the Monday of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Several of Australia’s well know footy personalities will be dunked into a giant ice pool to support the Freeze for MND challenge to raise funds.
Everyone involved in the EFL is encouraged to purchase the newly designed $20 blue beanie at the cure for MND website, take a team or individual photo, post it on your club website and club/personal social media feed, using the MND social media hashtags; #FreezeMND #WalkingwithNeale and tag @footyEFL.
With the cold weather upon us there’s no better time to update the winter headwear, compulsory for someone as follicly challenged as I am. We look forward to sharing your photos supporting this great cause.