The following comes from our friends in Australia, Jonathan Holmes and Diana Worman, who were co-captains of the 2009 Aussie Crocs.

Greetings ultimate USA,

Knowing the community that is ultimate, a community that stretches beyond national boundaries, we have no hesitation in passing on the following.

Many of you would know Mike Neild – an outstanding ultimate player who has represented Australia at the 2004 and 2008 World Championships and 2009 World Games and had many a tussle with the best players from the USA such as Chase Sparling-Beckley, Alex Nord and Beau Kittrege. Mike is not only an outstanding player but a genuinely top bloke. He has many connections with the US, not only from playing ultimate (he learnt the game while working summer camps in the US north east) but has also married an wonderful young woman Stacy, who is from Montana. Mike and Stacy have lived in Brisbane, Australia for the past few years.

Mike’s wife Stacy has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Syndrome in the US). This is pretty shocking news for them, their family and the frisbee community. However, typical of the people that they are, Stacy and Mike are determined to battle this disease and remain positive.

One of the immediate challenges for them is that all of Stacy’s family are in Montana. Mike and Stacy are planning to be traveling back and forth between the States and Australia quite a bit. The Brisbane ultimate community has organised a tournament and fundraising effort to get together some money to help Mike and Stacy out with the costs associated with both this travel and the changes that Stacy’s disease will bring to their lives.

If you would like to make a donation to this very worthwhile cause you can make an international bank deposit from your local US Bank using the information provided below.

There is more information about the funderaising tournament at the blog site http://bigsky9s.blogspot.com/. As part of that effort the Aussie Crocs World Games team have signed and framed a shirt from World Games and are auctioning it. If you would like to make a bid (or organise a consortium to make a bid) have a look at http://wgshirtauction.blogspot.com/ for more details.

Many thanks from Mike, Stacy and the Australian ultimate community,

Donations can be made into the following account. Your local US bank should be able to arrange for the electronic transfer.

Please quote “NEILD DONATION” in the comments field of the transation.
Account Name: Qld Ultimate Disc Association Inc
BSB: 034002
Account Number: 167889
Bank: Westpac
SWIFT code: WPACAU2S