A Night to Fight: $5,522 RAISED for FightMND
Thursday, 4 June 2026
On a crisp Thursday evening at the Woodend Hesket and Woodend Junior Football Netball Club, our community came together for something bigger than sport - a Fight MND Night that reminded us all why moments like this matter.
MND, or Motor Neurone Disease, is a devastating illness that has touched the lives of many within our club family. Players, volunteers, supporters - too many of us have watched someone we love face this cruel disease. Thursday night was our chance to stand together, raise funds, and send a message: we're fighting back.
We're incredibly proud to announce that the club raised $5,522 for FightMND. Every dollar goes toward research and care for those living with MND in Australia.
A night like this doesn't happen without the generosity of the businesses and families who believe in this cause.
A special acknowledgement to Sovereign Financial, whose long-time support of the Hawks and the FightMND cause, including the Daniher Drive, continues to make a real difference. Your loyalty to this club and this cause means everything.
Huge thanks also to the families and businesses who came out with buckets in hand:
Bourkies
Woodend Hardware
The Jenke Family
Your bucket donations made the relay possible, thank you.
And to the sponsors who came down to be part of the relay and help kick the night along, thank you for showing up and getting involved:
Naturform
CMV Truck & Bus
Bound Real Estate
Town Planning People
Snap Fitness
Buffalo Sports
The centrepiece of the evening was the bucket relay, hosted by MC Brendan O'Connor from Naturform, known to most of us around the club as Bocca.
Four teams lined up on the ground. The rules were simple: person one tips a bucket over person two, person two tips over person three, and so on to the end of the line. The last person sprints back to the start. First team to finish takes home the ultimate prize; bragging rights for the next 12 months.
The crowd loved it. The participants? Let's just say they were significantly less dry than when they started.
No Fight MND night at the Hawks would be complete without someone going the extra mile, and Brendan O'Connor delivered in spectacular fashion.
After the relay wrapped up, Bocca, fully kitted out in a wetsuit and swimming cap, proceeded to take an extended swim across the cricket pitch. The crowd's reaction said it all. It was exactly the kind of moment that makes these nights so memorable.
What made Thursday special wasn't just the money raised, it was the people who showed up. Members of our club who have lost parents, partners, siblings, and friends to MND. Sponsors who came out and showed their support. Families cheering from the boundary. Kids cheering on their nominated teammates, learning what MND is and why our club fights so hard against it.
That's what this club is about.
Thank you to everyone who came out on the night, donated, volunteered, got wet, or simply showed their support. We'll be back again next year, and we hope you will be too.
Go Hawks. Fight MND.
