Wyong firefighters tackle the Kokoda Track for charity - Wyong
Published: 18 Aug 2023 03:05pm
A team of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters from Wyong is about to embark on a gruelling nine-day trek across the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease research.
Wyong Captain, Jamie Loader, first raised the idea with his crew around 12 months ago as they considered ideas to replace the traditional “Climb for MND” charity event at Sydney Tower.
Every day in Australia, two people die from MND and another two are diagnosed with the disease.
Tragically, the average life expectancy after diagnosis is just 27 months and 90% of cases have no obvious cause.
Captain Loader will be joined on the trek this Sunday by his Deputy Captains, Margaret Collins and Tim Farlow, and firefighters, Nathan O’Hara and Kurtis Walker-Jones.
The 505 station, which recently won the Regional Firefighting Championships in Parkes, is attempting to raise $15,000 for Macquarie University’s Centre for MND.
It’s an important cause familiar to the crew.
Deputy Captain Farlow’s stepfather, Ian, a long-serving Central Coast paramedic, lost his battle with MND in 2018.
The crew jumped at the idea to re-trace the steps of Australia’s heroic servicemen, who successfully fought off a large Japanese invasion force during a strategic, 100-kilometre withdrawal over the Owen Stanley Ranges in World War Two.
“For us, it’s a win-win,” Captain Loader said, “Not only do we raise money for a terrific cause, we get to tick off a major item on our bucket list and gain a first-hand appreciation of what those heroic diggers went through.
“We have been training here on the Central Coast for what we know will be an arduous journey up and down mountains continuously and we’re ready.
“Our guide is a former Queensland firefighter and Australian soldier, so we’re in good hands.”
The public can donate to this terrific cause by visiting: https://firiesclimbformnd.org.au/page/JamesLoader [external link]
Updated: 18 Aug 2023 03:09pm
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