Drive for Dean - 3 courses 3 Countries 24 Hours

The MND Drive for Dean event – the ‘Three Peaks’ of Golf!

A group of golf fanatics are planning a huge physical challenge in aid of the Dean Fox MND Foundation and the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) charity, playing 3 rounds of golf, in 3 different countries, in 24 hours!

That is an exhausting undertaking, and has been dubbed the ‘Three Peaks of golf’ as a salute to the enormity and respect afforded to that famous event. The event is called ‘The MND Drive for Dean’, in recognition of the work by Dean Fox (54) from Middlesbrough, a keen golfer, who has established the ‘Dean Fox MND Foundation’ after being diagnosed with the disease in August last year, and set about raising awareness and funds for research and support groups involved with this devastating condition.

A group of his golf playing partners have created the concept, and support is rapidly gathering pace for the event, which will take place over 2 days on June 27 and 28th, beginning in Scotland. After playing 18 holes at Lockerbie Golf Club, the 12 players taking part will drive to Wales overnight for the next leg, and hope to be able to catch a few hours of sleep there, before an early start on the next 18 holes at Llangollen Golf Club, a testing course in it’s own right. Given that each round of golf takes a minimum of 4 hours to complete at best, they then have to drive to the final stage, at Preston Golf Club in England, where another 18 holes await them, swiftly followed by a fund raising gala dinner - if they can stay awake!

When asked how this concept came about, event organiser Steven Logan said ’’having arranged other events, we wanted something bigger and better than what we’ve arranged before, and as the ‘Three Peaks’ is already a “thing”, we thought we could adapt it to suit our passion – golf!”. Fellow organiser Ben Cooper added, ‘’What an amazing, unique challenge this is going to be and I’m incredibly proud be part of the ‘Drive for Dean’ team. My first thought was yes of course I’ll do it, my second thought was how on earth will I be able to do it! But then I thought about Dean and all who fight tirelessly against MND - it's a humbling reminder of the importance of rallying together for a cause greater than ourselves’’.

Dean, who worked as a business coach, trainer and mentor, and his wife Christine, have two sons and two grandsons, and news of the diagnosis came on top of learning he had cancer earlier in the year. MND (or ALS as it is also known) is a condition that affects the brain and the nerves, and results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles and progressively worsens over time. It has no cure, and can significantly shorten life expectancy, as only 10% of those affected live beyond 5 years. Dean is hoping to be able to hit the first drive in Scotland to begin the event, and possibly also in Preston. On learning about plans for the event by his friends, Dean said, "MND is a tough opponent, but we believe that together, we can drive change. 'The MND Drive For Dean' is about rallying our community to stand united against this disease, raising funds, and spreading awareness. I'm grateful for the support we've received and excited about the impact we can make.

Joining the 12 players for the final round in England, 18 teams of 4 players have already committed to take part in what should be both a memorable and historic afternoon and evening, celebrating the ‘3 courses, 3 countries, 24-hours’ concept, and it is sure to be an emotional one too as the ‘Drive for Dean’ event concludes.

Donations to support this incredible endeavour are welcome, and donations may be made via this Go Fund Me.

About information:

The Dean Fox MND Foundation - Mission statement by Dean Fox - The Dean Fox MND Foundation is dedicated to advancing research projects aimed at both slowing symptom progression and ultimately finding a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Committed to supporting individuals affected by MND, we aim to provide grants for essential equipment, facilitate bucket list activities, and aspire to establish a 24-hour helpline to offer ongoing support and assistance. Our mission is to improve the lives of those impacted by MND while tirelessly pursuing breakthroughs in treatment and ultimately, a cure.

https://deanfoxmndfoundation.org/about

Motor Neurone Disease Association - MND is the short term for motor neurone disease, which affects the nerves known as motor neurones. These nerves are found in the brain and spinal cord and they help tell your muscles what to do. If you have MND, this means your movement will be affected and messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste, which can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Some people also get changes to their thinking and behaviour, but the disease affects everyone differently. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict. MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life. Six people die every day from MND in the UK. https://www.mndassociation.org/

All funds raised will be split equally between the Foundation and the MNDA