Thanks to Daniher’s Drive, Simon is a happy camper
Simon Hicks knows firsthand how devastating motor neurone disease (MND) is. His mother, Lorna, passed away from MND in 2002 aged just 51.
In honour of her memory, Simon, his brother Warren and sister Naomi have joined every Daniher’s Drive since its beginning in 2015. In 2022, Simon was the lucky winner of the Daniher’s Drive raffle. Walking away with a brand new Jayco caravan, Simon and his family have wasted no time in hitting the road for some grand adventures!
Here Simon shares his memories of family holidays in Jayco caravan, his time on Daniher’s Drive and why you should register to join the Drive in 2024.
Tell us about the adventures you have had in the Jayco caravan you won through the Daniher’s Drive raffle.
My wife Peta and I have 7-year-old twin girls and we’ve absolutely loved going away in the caravan. We’ve had the van for one summer and we’ve headed down to Inverloch over New Years. We loved it so much that we extended our stay.
We spent a week in Port Fairy, where my brother and sister joined us. We have had an adventure in Echuca and camped out on the Murray River in Barooga for the June long weekend. It’s been fun!
What is your connection to MND?
My mother Lorna Hicks passed away from MND in 2002 at just 51 years old.
Mum was an incredibly fit, talented and sporty person. She knew something was wrong in 1998. She couldn’t get the right grip on her tennis racquet resulting in missed shots that she would never miss. She also dropped catches at indoor cricket that she would never drop.
A long process of travelling to Melbourne from Cobram for tests trying to find what was wrong with mum followed. By process of elimination, we were finally told that mum had MND.
What does the Daniher’s Drive mean to you?
My brother Warren, sister Naomi and I have put teams (Lorna’s Cobram Crew & Lorna’s Girls) in the Daniher’s Drive since it began in 2015. Our father Brian also contributed every year until he passed away from cancer in 2020.
We had never heard of MND when mum was diagnosed. The internet and email communication were in their infancy. There was also no social media and therefore limited awareness of the disease.
The Daniher’s Drive has been great for our family to get together with close friends to remember mum. It’s also a great opportunity to join the FightMND community help raise awareness and funds to support and improve the quality of lives of those currently battling the Beast.
FightMND events such as the Daniher’s Drive have a great impact and my family are proud to support the cause and the hard work that the FightMND team put in.
What’s your fondest memory from the Drive?
I have so many.
Number 1: The quality of the people that you meet. So many top-quality people who are so generous with their time, effort and money – coming together for a common cause.
Number 2: Getting out to the regional communities. The morning teas and lunches in regional communities are amazing. You can see the impact Daniher’s Drive has on these communities, most of which have been touched by MND in some way, who want to contribute to the fight.
I still remember the first year in Penshurst in western Victoria where around 500 people had turned up out of nowhere with cakes that they had been baking for a week. They were there to raise what funds they could for FightMND. This has continued every year and it’s great to come together with the regions we travel through.
Number 3: Being inspired by Neale Daniher. Having seen first-hand how tough dealing with MND is, the way that Neale and the Daniher family have assembled an army to fight has been inspirational. It puts a lot into perspective and being around Neale just makes you a better person. Not to mention the way that Neale leads Mr Brightside on Saturday night – that is just the icing on the cake!
All of this ties back to the quality of the people.
Why should people get involved with Daniher’s Drive?
To be part of a community of great people all fighting for a really important cause. You’ll have fun, meet great people and contribute to something that makes a difference.
Enter the 2024 Daniher’s Drive raffle for your chance to win!
Thanks to our sponsors at Jayco, you can go in the draw to win your very own 2024 Starcraft Bushpack 19.61-3 Caravan valued at $65,590.
A lucky runner up will receive a gift voucher from our sponsors at the Card Network. Valued at $4,999 this voucher can be redeemed at any retailer of your choice.
What are you waiting for? Purchase your tickets today for just $40 each or 3 for $100 and get in the draw!
The raffle is open to residents of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. Entries close Monday 7 October at 11:59pm AEDT. The raffle will be drawn Saturday 12 October 2024 at 8:00pm AEDT.
Join the fight. Together we can beat the Beast.
Want to join Daniher’s Drive in 2024? Register today!
There is still time to register to join the 2024 Daniher’s Drive. Join 250 other participants for a road trip unlike any other and help us raise awareness and funds in our fight against the Beast that is MND.
The 2024 Drive will depart Melbourne on Thursday 10 October. We’ll take the scenic route through Bendigo, Warrnambool and Lorne before returning to Melbourne on Sunday 13 October.
On Daniher’s Drive, we aim to put the FUN back into FUNdraising. The Drive is a fantastic opportunity to get your family and friends together, form a team and contribute to the fight against MND.
Ready to register, or want to learn more? Check out our Daniher’s Drive page.