A Queensland philanthropist couple has stunned the sporting world by donating a staggering $40million to FightMND after being inspired by the legacy of AFL great Neale Daniher.
Construction magnates Quentin and Kylie Birt made the extraordinary contribution during the King’s Birthday Big Freeze clash between Melbourne and Collingwood at the MCG on Monday.
The donation emerged as one of the most remarkable moments of the annual fundraising event, which was held for the first time since Daniher’s death last month following his long battle with motor neurone disease.
The Birts had originally pledged $10million to FightMND before attending the match.
But after witnessing the sea of blue beanies, the emotional tributes to Daniher and the overwhelming support for the cause, they decided to quadruple their contribution.
The incredible gesture was revealed by Craig Hutchison on The Agenda Setters.
Queensland couple Quentin and Kylie Birt stunned the AFL world with a remarkable $40 million FightMND donation
The extraordinary gift was inspired by Neale Daniher’s legacy and determination in the battle against MND
Australian of the Year Neale Daniher’s influence continues to be felt across Australia even after his passing earlier this year
‘There is a couple that walked into the MCG and donated $40m to FightMND, it shows you the power,’ Hutchison said.
‘They had no connection to the game, to Neale, or to MND themselves.
‘Inspired by the occasion, had already donated $10m last week and topped it up by another $30m today.’
Quentin said the decision to make the huge donation was an easy decision on the day.
‘Basically, he did what we all [want to] do, we just don’t have the guts to do it, it’s that simple,’ he said.
And he described the reaction from the FightMND team as ‘wonderful’.
Kylie said she hoped the money would go a long way towards finding a cure for the disease.
‘That’s what you hope, that’s all you can hope,’ she said.
Blue beanies filled the MCG as supporters gathered for the first Big Freeze without Daniher present
The donation immediately became one of the biggest talking points of Big Freeze 12, with fans and commentators struggling to comprehend the scale of the contribution.
Prior to this year’s event, FightMND had raised approximately $140million since Daniher launched the charity after being diagnosed with the disease in 2013.
The Birts’ donation alone represents almost a third of that total.
The couple are already well known in philanthropic circles and previously donated $57million to a Central Australian football program aimed at changing lives through sport.
Their latest contribution came during an emotional day at the MCG.
A record crowd of 88,019 packed the stadium for the annual King’s Birthday clash as Melbourne edged Collingwood in a thriller.
Players from both clubs linked arms before the opening bounce while tributes were paid to Daniher, whose fight against MND transformed awareness of the disease across Australia.
Thousands of supporters wore blue beanies in honour of the former Melbourne coach and Essendon champion, while celebrities once again braved the famous Big Freeze slide.
Kysaiah Pickett of the Demons is presented the Neale Daniher Trophy by Luke and Bec Daniher
The event also featured former NRL player Jai Arrow, who recently revealed his own MND diagnosis and tossed the coin before the match.
Speaking after Melbourne’s victory, Demons captain Max Gawn became emotional when reflecting on the day.
‘It was a lot, it was a big week and then having Jai Arrow do that coin toss just was the cherry on the top. I was in tears,’ Gawn said.
Gawn also dismissed concerns that FightMND’s momentum would fade following Daniher’s passing.
‘Multiple people have asked me throughout the last few years what’s going to happen to FightMND when Neile’s gone,’ he said.
‘This is what’s going to happen. You have 90,000 turn up in blue beanies, you know people donating from home and this is going to be a forever thing.’
Daniher’s daughter Bec also vowed the family would continue her father’s work.
‘The last two weeks have been incredibly hard, but to see the community around the MCG, seeing it blue … it just means that we continue to do what we need to do,’ she said.
‘Beat this beast – we’re going to do it for Dad. He loved this day.’
