Movie night to be held at Orana Cinemas Busselton to raise funds for research and awareness into MND

A Busselton resident is set to hold a fundraiser next week to raise funds and awareness for motor neurone disease. MND Western Australia fundraising ambassador Kirsten Whitby will host a move night at Orana Cinemas on Thursday, which will showcase the Australian feature film The Way, My Way. Ms Whitby is passionate about raising funds to find a cure for MND, after losing her husband Darren to the disease in 2015. She has also set up another fundraising initiative called Darren’s Ride to celebrate his life, reflecting his love of surfing and bike riding. “I’m also raising funds for another organisation, the MND and ME Foundation because in September my friend and Busselton local Geri Ross, will be walking the Camino Way in Spain to raise awareness of this disease and more importantly raise funds for research to find treatments and a cure for MND with me,” Ms Whitby said. “We have done a lot of different activities like bike rides to and from Perth, a beer with Rocky Ridge to name a few.” Ms Whitby said Darren was her high school sweetheart and neighbour before they married and less than a year after his death, she was motivated with friends to fight for research into a cure. “We were told on the June long weekend in 2015, he had motor neuron disease and two years is the average time you have left to live once you are diagnosed, and he passed away three months later in hospital at 50,” she said. “It’s an awful disease, in most cases, about 90 per cent of the time, it just strikes completely at random. “I’ve been fundraising since he passed away.” Ms Whitby said she has been driven to make a difference since 2016 and has helped raise thousands of dollars over the years to fund research and awareness to benefit the cause both in WA and internationally. “(The funds) goes towards care and support for West Australians and also national research projects that are administered through MND Australia,” she said. “Two people get diagnosed every day, just in Australia. Two people die every day in Australia. “I think last time they did any kind of research, Deloitte Access Economics revealed for every person diagnosed, around 11 people are directly impacted. “It’s a huge economic cost as well to the country, so the more we can do to try and find how we can beat it, the better.” Ms Whitby said 26 people will walk the Camino trails in France and Spain over nine days in September for the cause, including herself and Ms Ross. Next week’s movie screening ties in with the trip, with The Way, My Way being set on the trails. For more information on the movie night, visit the Darren’s Ride Facebook page or contact Orana Cinemas.