A Ballarat supermarket has been named the nation's top fundraising store for FightMND in this year's Big Freeze campaign, raising over $50,000 for the worthy cause in just over six weeks.
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On Thursday, nine brave team members from Coles Sebastopol took the plunge in FightMND's Big Freeze challenge, volunteering to be drenched by a bucket of ice and freezing cold water.
Sebastopol's nine-degree weather, which felt more like four degrees, had the team of courageous staff shivering even before the daunting ice buckets were brought out.
But this year, FightMND's mission hit close to home for the Coles Sebastopol crew, with one of their own recently receiving a devastating diagnosis for Motor Neurone Disease.
Store manager for the Sebastopol store, Nicole Buby, said customers rallied around the cause, with one regular customer purchasing 10 beanies every morning to support the campaign.
"I think when it's close to home, you want to try a little bit harder and do a little bit more for it," Ms Buby said.
"We raised over $54,000 and the Ballarat region has raised over $146,000 between the four shops as well."
Ms Buby said the Sebastopol store would strive to raise at least $60,000 for the campaign next year.
The dedicated store manager had a dry change of clothes handy so she could get straight back to work post-ice dunking.
FightMND CEO Matt Tilley was beaming with pride for the Sebastopol store.
"We're here today because Coles Sebastopol is our number one selling store in Australia for beanies. $54,000 worth of beanies sold from this store, which is absolutely amazing," Mr Tilley said.
"It's cold, but it's cold in lots of places. So it can't just be that. I think it's because there's just such great community spirit here. I mean, Coles stores aren't too far away, so it's got to be all about Sebastopol."
Mr Tilley said the campaign had a "fabulous year" of fundraising.
"I think Coles altogether now, and there's still sales coming in, dribs and drabs here and there, but we've raised just over $8 million with our campaign."
