Warragul & Drouin Gazette

$43,000 for MND

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Coles Warragul shoppers rallied behind the “Big Freeze” FightMND campaign to purchase 2000 beanies and raise a staggering $43,000.

With beanies selling like hotcakes, Warragul’s store was ranked second in Australia for beanie sales and third in Australia for overall fundraisin­g.

Beanie sales totalled just over $40,000. The overall figure of $43,000 combined beanie sales, customer donations and pork sales.

The staff played a vital role in the success of the campaign, inspired by former staff member Rob Wilson who is currently battling MND.

Rob was a familiar face at the registers during 30 years at the Warragul store before the disease forced his early retirement.

The six-week campaign aimed to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. Across the country, Coles raised more than $5 million for FightMND.

“We’re incredibly proud to have raised over $250,000 in Pakenham and Gippsland for FightMND this year,” said Coles regional manager David Czislowski. “To be the top fundraisin­g region nationally and to have three stores - Warragul, Pakenham and Traralgon - feature in the top 20 fundraiser­s says a lot about our region’s community spirit and affinity with the

FightMND cause, footy and Neale Daniher.”

“We want to say a big thank you to our customers and the local community who have supported the campaign by buying a beanie or Coles brand fresh pork,” he added. “When so many people are doing it tough as a result of COVID-19, it’s wonderful to see the support for such a worthy cause.”

All proceeds will fund world leading MND research in Australia and overseas to find a cure for the terminal and aggressive neurologic­al disease. An average of two Australian­s are diagnosed with MND every day, while another two succumb to the disease.

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