WITH winter approaching, a Bannockburn-based woman is using her small family business to give back to a worthy cause while keeping heads warm.
Julianne Wilde is selling Fight MND’s Big Freeze 9 beanies through her party supply store Wilde About Parties with all proceeds going towards motor neurone disease research.
Having first started selling the beanies last year, Ms Wilde said the cause to support people with MND is a personal one for her.
“It means a lot to me and my family because we did lose my dad Geoff to MND eight years ago,” she said.
“The beanies became available last year where people can sell these as a club or business to raise money. I felt it was something I could do to help.
“We actually lost dad when [Fight MND co-founder] Neale Daniher was sick with it too so I think dad would be really happy that people are looking into this.”
The beanies are generally sold as part of Fight MND’s annual Big Freeze campaign leading into the King’s Birthday long weekend, with last year’s initiative raising nearly $20 million.
With each beanie costing $25, Ms Wilde said she raised $2700 last year for Fight MND with 100 new and 10 used caps sold.
About half the current stock of 100 beanies has been sold, and Ms Wilde said she’s blown away by the community support behind the initiative.
“Last year it was really good and there was real interest in this, even if people didn’t want a beanie they’d still donate money,” she said.
“The support’s always wonderful, and the more we can have it out in the community for people to know about it, the better.”
Ms Wilde can be contacted for a beanie by calling 0431 398 298 or emailing [email protected].