A father who died only weeks after diagnosis, a mother lost half a century ago and a friend willing to be the public face of a terrible affliction.
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Experiences of motor neurone disease connected participants in the fifth Daniher's Drive, which arrived in Wangaratta for an overnight stop on Friday.
The four-day Fight MND road trip attracted about 320 travellers from around Australia and included a gala night and charity auction held at Oaks Wangaratta that raised $85,000.
Saturday morning saw a team briefing over breakfast at Gateway Hotel Wangaratta before the cars headed for Alexandra.
The event, named after co-founder, patron and participant Neale Daniher, will end in Mount Eliza on Sunday, with organisers hoping to announce a record-breaking final fundraising total.
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Col Gibbons, of Rye, has joined all five drives and his red Chevrolet Corvette 789 stood out among the parked cars at Wangaratta.
"Mum had motor neurone 50 years ago and died of it, she was given two years and lasted 18 months," he said.
Warrnambool's Sarah Dunn and Tracey Telford and their team have raised more than $100,000 for Fight MND in five years.
Mrs Dunn's father died of the disease 10 years ago.
"At the time of his diagnosis, I had never heard of it," she said.
"He had a very rapid form of MND, so we lost him eight weeks from diagnosis and he was only 56."
Brisbane Lions AFL coach Chris Fagan had been keen to join the drive and support his close friend's fight against motor neurone disease.
"As Neale talks about, you witness the death of your own body, basically, and that's a pretty intimidating thing to happen to you," Fagan said.
"And he's done it with so much grace and dignity, it's amazing."
Fight MND campaign director Rebecca Daniher said only a few years ago not many had heard of the disease, which added to sufferers' challenges.
"It was hard for them to talk about it and they felt quite lonely in their fight against the disease, but now people are getting behind it, they see them," she said.
"They know that people are out there fundraising and aware of what MND does and so they feel a lot more part of the community again."
Fight MND chief executive Jamie Howden thanked the Wangaratta community for their hospitality, saying Daniher's Drive offered a great chance to explore regional areas.
"Everywhere's so supportive, we couldn't have hoped for anything better," he said.