Starting your DIY Big Freeze: It takes people
DIY Big Freeze is all about bringing people together.
Every DIY Big Freeze looks different, but they all share the same foundation. Community. Whether it’s an ice bucket challenge, a dunk tank or a winter swim, these moments work because people choose to get involved.
At FightMND, this is what we mean when we say It Takes People. Every Big Freeze is built on people stepping up to join the FightMND Army and working together towards a world free from motor neurone disease (MND).
This guide will help you understand how to bring people together, not just to take on the icy moment, but to help plan, promote and run your DIY Big Freeze.
Start with your icy moment
Every DIY Big Freeze starts with an idea. A moment that brings people together.
It might be a crisp winter morning swim. A school yard Ice Bucket Challenge. A workplace wearing blue in solidarity. A dunk tank where players can get revenge on their coaches.
It doesn’t need to be complex. Your icy challenge is the hook. But it’s not the whole story.
Because what really matters is what happens around it. The people showing up, getting involved, donating and encouraging others to take part. The moment is the spark. The community is what brings it to life.
Get people involved early
A successful DIY Big Freeze doesn’t rely on one organiser. It works best when responsibility is shared.
There are many ways to get people involved from the start:
- Invite others to help shape the idea and choose the challenge.
- Ask different people to take on roles. For example, promotion, fundraising, logistics and safety.
- Encourage champions to talk about why this cause matters to them.
When people help build the event, they’re more invested in its success.
Schools: Gather the whole school
Schools are perfectly set up for collective action, with students, staff and families already connected.
Identify your champions early. Find student council members, house captains, and enthusiastic teachers who will spread the word and build genuine excitement. Use the event as a leadership opportunity for your student leaders. Get them to take ownership of planning and delivering the event and see their passion and confidence grow.
Build structure around participation. Organise house or class-based teams with fundraising leaderboards displayed in hallways. Set achievable targets, like $500 per house or $50 per class.
Make teachers part of the moment. Nominate popular teachers for the ice challenge. Give incentives for the top fundraising class to choose which teacher takes the plunge.
Bring everyone together. Host your activity in a shared space where the entire school gathers, like the oval, courtyard, or gymnasium. Make it a moment that becomes part of your school’s story.
When students, teachers and families all participate, your DIY Big Freeze becomes a shared experience students remember long after the ice melts.
Workplaces: Make it a moment
Workplaces already thrive on teamwork. A DIY Big Freeze gives colleagues a shared reason to connect beyond daily tasks.
Departments naturally become teams. Marketing versus Finance. Operations versus Sales. Friendly rivalries form immediately when someone volunteers (or is nominated) for the ice bath.
Create visible competition. Through our online fundraising platform, you can set up your departments or teams separately to see real-time updates on your fundraising leaders. Display a physical scoreboard in the break room. Set a company-wide target and break it down by department.
Make participation flexible. Not everyone will take the plunge. Some donate, others organise, others raise awareness. Create multiple ways for your employees to get involved.
Make event day memorable. Whether it’s a lunchtime ice bath or a car park dunk tank, create atmosphere. Stream it to remote workers. Let the CEO go first. Take photos and celebrate.
When participation is flexible, more people get involved and your impact grows.
Sporting Clubs: Rally players, families and fans
Sporting clubs already understand the power of shared goals and community spirit.
Turn existing rituals into fundraisers: That post-training ice bath? Make it a fundraising moment. Players nominate each other and supporters donate on who they want to take the plunge.
Get involved in Community Round: Hosting your DIY Big Freeze during the Big Freeze Community Round gives your club a shared national moment to rally around. Run your icy challenge at training or on game day and join clubs across Australia standing together for people living with MND.
Make match days matter: Host a dunk tank near the canteen, run a halftime ice bucket challenge or invite a special guest to take the plunge. Set a one‑day fundraising goal and, if it’s reached, your special guest or club legend has to brave the icy splash.Turn the entire day into a visible show of support.
Put coaches in the spotlight: Let teams fundraise to decide which coach goes in first. The competitive spirit will take care of the rest.
Involve everyone: Players, families, volunteers, committee members and supporters can all play a role. Whether that’s fundraising, donating, promoting or helping run the event.
When players and supporters come together, the club’s energy becomes a force against MND.
Friends and family: Small gatherings, massive reach
Some of the best DIY Big Freezes start with nothing more than a group chat and an idea. Someone suggests an ice bucket challenge. Someone else volunteers their backyard. Everyone gets involved.
Keep it simple. Fill a wheelie bin with ice and water. Create a shared fundraising page. Take turns nominating each other. Share the videos.
Lean into the humour. The “I can’t believe you actually did that” moments resonate powerfully. These unpolished, genuine moments often spread further than perfectly produced events.
Don’t underestimate your impact. A backyard ice bucket challenge among friends can raise hundreds of dollars. Those friends share it with their networks, and suddenly your small gathering has reached hundreds of people.
It takes people every step of the way
No matter where it starts, your DIY Big Freeze always comes back to the same foundation.
It takes people to plan it.
It takes people to show up.
It takes people to take on the icy challenge.
And it takes people to create change.
That’s why every Big Freeze matters.
Because when people come together, they’re not just fundraising. They’re standing together in the fight against MND.