Vintage tractor buffs boost MND awareness after epic Riverina trek

The Two Rivers Run Tractor Trek committee handed over a cheque for the funds to support Research MND Australia at the Tasco Petroleum depot in Bomen on Friday.

Neil Cole, the treasurer of Riverina Trekkers, said the group was blown away by the support received during their seven-day trip across the region.

Mr Cole said the funds raised "far exceeded expectations".

Their last tractor trek in 2022 saw the group raise $37,000.

Mr Cole attributed the marked rise in fundraising to the generosity of people in the towns they visited along the trek.

Starting in Berrigan on March 17, the contingent passed through several towns including Tocumwal, Conargo, Carrathool and Darlington Point.

The group also stopped at various farming stations along the way before returning to Berrigan on March 23.

During the trek the group held two very successful auctions where they raised more than $21,000.

Mr Cole thanked the local people they met along the journey, the participants and also the generous sponsors, drawing particular attention to the Bendigo Bank and Tasco Petroleum.

MND Research Australia director of research Gethin Thomas said it was "fantastic" to receive such a big show of support.

MND Research Australia funds work to identify the causal factors of the degenerative disease.

But Mr Thomas said while some recent advances had been made in identifying and treating genetic causes of MND, there was much more work left to do.

"We need to know what causes the other 90 per cent of cases," he said.

"Funds like this go a long way to funding lab research projects that will tell us what causes the disease and then we can go on and develop treatments [for it]."

Started in 2014 by former Jerilderie mayor Ian Sneddon, the biennial tractor trek originally raised funds for Beyond Blue and prostate cancer.

But when Mr Sneddon was diagnosed with MND, the group turned its attention to tackling the debilitating disease.