BRENDAN LINES
THE Renmark Football Club has unveiled its charity round guernsey, with the club throwing its support behind the MS foundation for this weekend’s RFL match against Loxton North.
The club is doing all it can to help raise awareness and funds, in the fight against the disease, on behalf of club member Stacey Mason.
Renmark Football Club president Mark Trowse predicted it would be a “big day”.
“A lot of organising goes into it,” he said.
“The specially produced guernsey… is something a bit different that we can auction off after the game.
“This is our fourth go. We did Make-A-Wish the first year, then Ronald McDonald House, and Royal Flying Doctors before Covid.
“Stacey’s family has always been good supporters of the football club. We thought we’d take it on this year for them.”
Multiple sclerosis is the most common degenerative neurological condition diagnosed in young adults, with over 75 per cent of people diagnosed under the age of 40.
Rural areas make up roughly 10.5 per cent of cases nationally.
MS Foundation CEO Tim Ryan said it was “fantastic” having the club’s support.
“It’s always a challenge for any organisation to make sure you’re being able to deliver good services in regional areas,” he said.
“One of the critical parts of that are nurses. They do go out to the regions but it has been hard because of Covid.
“We try and do that as a personal presence, but that is not always possible.”
Mr Ryan said he would be attending match.
“I’ll be there barracking on the sidelines,” he said.
“One of the things I’m keen to try and figure out when I’m visiting Renmark, is how we can do something more directly in the region and deliver better services in the Riverland.
“During Covid we looked at providing services more flexibly including things like physiotherapy and exercise classes online. That was a simple thing that was embraced by people in regional areas.”
The foundation will have peer support co-ordinators on hand at the game as an information source.
“They are run by people living with the condition,” Mr Ryan said.
The Loxton North Football Club will hold its charity round later in the season.