On Sunday October 23, local firefighter Nicky Clarke will be joining hundreds of firefighters climbing the iconic Sydney Tower Eye as quickly as possible in full structural firefighting ensemble to raise money and awareness for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Teams of firefighters will race to climb all 1504 stairs (98 floors) of the Sydney Tower Eye, each carrying an additional 20kg of gear. It will be a gruelling challenge, however it is nothing in comparison to the challenge patients with MND face every day. Clarke, from Station 236 here in Braidwood has joined a team called 'Where's the Lift?' and will be taking on the challenge with colleagues from Ulladulla, Merimbula and Nowra.
MND is Motor Neurone Disease, or ALS, or Lou Gehrigs Disease. It is a progressive, terminal neurological disease. MND affects the nerve cells (neurones) controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow, causing them the degenerate and die. A person’s senses and intellect are not affected.
Nicky says "I don't personally know anyone that is or has been affected by MND, but it's a horrible disease so i thought i'd sign up for the challenge to help raise awareness and much needed funds for research. It'll be a great challenge and i'm really looking forward to it."
Each particpant has a goal of raising $1504 which is $1 for every step of the Sydney Tower Eye. Every dollar raised will directly support vital MND research at the Macquarie University MND Research Centre.
Nicky will be holding a raffle in the coming weeks to help reach her fundraising goal. If you would like to donate directly please visit https://firefightersclimbformnd.everdayhero.com/au/nicole
"I'd just like to say a huge thank you to anyone who has already donated. Friends, family and even complete strangers have helped out so far! Not to mention Apex, the Lyons Club and the Lodge of Truth who have also sponsored me. It just goes to show that we live in a great community and there's plenty of support out there" said Nicky.
