MLC Risk Ride for MS

MLC Financial Advisers rode from Mt Gambier to Lorne for family and friends with MS

MS1000

MS1000 was a unique 1000km kayaking, cycling and trekking challenge throughout spectacular regional Victoria.

 

Pedal Power for a friend

When a group of old schoolmates from Ku-Ring-Gai High School decide that they want to show their support to Ian Ballard, the founder of F5m, and cycle in the Sydney to Woolongong bike ride. With MSL, the event organisers, agreeing to allow the teams money to be redirected to F5m. With Rick Yabsley motivating and co-ordinating the whole team, they went onto raise over $40,000, from a team consisting of 15 riders. There are now plans to start up some inter school rivalry for next years ride, go Ku-Ring-Gai High School.

 

The MyStery Ball on August 8 was a fabulous success! 

 

Held at the Australian Museum in Sydney, the inaugural MyStery Ball is set to become one of the MoSt popular events on the social calendar.  Alexia Houston and her friends raised over $45,000!

These fantastic photos were taken by Jonas Peterson and he's kindly let us share them with you.

View the slide show by clicking here MyStery Ball  

View the photo album by clicking here MyStery Ball

 

Katrina Hemingway and Liz Melchior raised $31,000 on the Kokoda Trek . . .

“There was mud of every consistency and colour. I felt I was cross country skiing at times. Other times I was up to my calves in it. The streams/creeks provided a welcome break for a wash at the end of each day. We walked from 5 to 11 hours each day depending on the weather. We encountered a tropical rainstorm that lifted and destroyed the rooves of many guesthouses, brilliant sunshine and days of such extreme humidity you found it hard to tell if it was raining or not.

 

"The ascents were almost vertical at times lasting for 1 to 2 hours with little flat reprieve and the descents required a fine balancing act with tree roots to avoid slipping and sliding with the mud. I fell about half a dozen times. My Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel was my porter Doxi whose magic feet I followed every step of the way.

 

"My susceptibility to heatstroke proved difficult to overcome. Because I do not sweat sufficiently I found it hard to cool my body down adequately to master the increasingly steep ascents. Through trial and error I managed to overcome the problem by drenching myself in water from head to waist every 30 mins - I literally looked like a drowned rat most of the time but you do what you have to do.”   - Katrina Hemingway

 

Katrina with Ovuru Ndiki - at 102, one of the last surviving Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, and with her porter Doxi at Ower's Corner.                

 

Some More Fundraising Success Stories

Fundraising can be organised by anyone who has the motivation and passion to succeed and make a difference.

Fundraisers come in all shapes and sizes and are all equally important to helping us achieve the goal of raising $5 million for research into a cure for MS.

Are you ready for the challenge? Do you have an idea for an event but need some help getting started? Do you want to fundraise but don’t think you have any good ideas?  Below are some of the most recent activities organised by F5m supporters.

No matter how big or small your idea or event, every little bit helps us reach our target whilst spreading the word that people with MS are doing it for themselves!

Tina Polios celebrated her birthday by hosting a Masquerade party for all family and friends. She requested that they donate to F5m instead of giving her gifts. To her surprise, a very generous $3,175 was raised. Thanks to everyone who attended and gave generously.

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Liama McConachie and her family organised a fantastic Gala Dinner in memory of their mother Maree, who had MS. 120 guests attended the black tie event and over $24,500 was raised on the night. A great result for all their hard work !

 

Rob Williams recently discovered F5m and has set himself a challenge - to make Queensland the top fundraising state in Australia. His first fundraising activity was at the Esk Picnic Races where he and a team of volunteers raised over $2,500 just by asking punters for a donation and selling our merchandise! How easy is that!

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In Melbourne, ‘On Shaky Ground’ - an exhibition of photographs in Antarctica by Fiona Hall and Stellar Fraser - was on display at Federation Square. The funds raised at the opening cocktail party and from the sale of the photographs, auction and a raffle raised over $10,000. Also with the kind support of Esther Althaus an AMP financial planner, a further $10,000 was donated by the AMP Foundation.

 

RWSYou can even take your fundraising activity on the road and raise money whilst on a cultural, spiritual or sporting adventure. Rebecca Maxwell, a Singapore-based Victorian woman, did just that. She walked 850 kilometres across Spain and raised $5,000. Also, the Medicare Fountaingate staff organised a Walk-a-thon and raised $2,800! FGG

 

Anyone can get involved with F5m. Students from Kenvale Tourism and Hospitality College raised $12,000 when they organised the ‘Making Smiles for MS’ dinner as part of their Event Management degree. Spurred on by a close relative with MS, they organised a wonderful event and were awarded a high distinction for their efforts, plus the praise and adoration of the F5m team!KV

 

June was F5m’s official Trivia Month and we had a range of different themed nights including music and ‘crazy trivia’ (which included karaoke clues… and answers!). Together the trivia nights pulled in a whopping $40,000. If your keen to hold your own trivia night let us know and we will set you up with everything you need to make it a great success Trivia Night Info

 

Also, don’t forget to tell your company about your fundraising activity and ask if they can help. For example, they might match the funds you raise or donate or they could offer some items to be auctioned. Mike Hemingway’s trivia night raised a fantastic $5,000 which was boosted by his employer NAB who matched this with another $5,000!!! It’s definitely doesn’t hurt to ask.

 

A spin off from the Trivia Nights was the ‘Throw the Book at MS’ night which raised another $6,000. Organiser Jo Dwyer can provide questions based around a books-and-writers theme. She wants all book groups to play host a night at their June book night and ask for a donation in return – simple!' Do you have a book club that might be interested in participating? To contact Jo

 

Do you get birthday gifts that you don’t really need? Why not follow the lead of Stan Marsh and Pat Wood, Duncan McAuslan and Chris Mort who all requested that friends and family donate to F5m whatever money they were going to spend on a birthday present. This has already raised over $4,000 for F5m.

 

Don’t forget to get your work colleagues involved. You could organise a bake off competition between departments or do a chocolate drive - Ian Ballard raised nearly $1,000 from his scooter challenge where his workmates had the chance to guess how long it would take him to commute to work on his scooter. Or follow the lead of St Kilda Police Station and Curtin Uni Campus, Sydney who have both implemented Casual Dress Friday. Everyone who wears casual clothes has to donate a gold coin for F5m. Easy!