There are 20,800 Australians currently living with spinal cord injuries, so no matter where you come from, it’s likely you know someone affected. A beef producing family from north-west Queensland who have experienced the impacts of a spinal injury first hand, are hosting a unique fundraising event during this year’s Ekka featuring a luncheon and invitational bull ride. All proceeds from the event, City & Country Raising Buck$, will go to the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation, who are on the cusp of finding a cure for paralysis.
Marcus and Shelley Curr run their beef cattle operation from Yelvertoft Station, 110 kilometres north-west of Mount Isa, and became involved with the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation two years ago after their daughter Georgia suffered a spinal cord injury on their remote property.
Georgia Curr, 21, has a rare condition called Spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which is a tangle of blood vessels that causes the blood flow inside the spinal cord to be altered. In 2021 just before her 20th birthday, Georgia was working at home on her family’s cattle station near Julia Creek in north-west Queensland when she had a sudden bleed in her spinal cord, resulting in her becoming a T6 paraplegic.
“As someone who lives with a spinal cord injury myself, I know first-hand the impact it has on your life, with the most significant being the loss of independence,” says Georgia.
“Initially I spent four months in hospital and following this I had to relocate to be closer to physiotherapy on the Gold Coast. Finding a cure for paralysis, for me, would mean being able to go back to my life in the bush and live independently, something that is not currently possible due to the lack of accessibility for disabled people in my hometown of Julia Creek.”
The idea for this event is for the bush to come together with the city to raise vital funds for the Spinal Injury Project at Griffith University in partnership with the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation, who are ready to commence the world-first Cell Transplantation and Rehabilitation Human Clinical Trial. The foundation is closer than ever to finding a cure for paralysis, but funding is needed to commence the trial before the end of 2023. You can watch a video to find out more about what the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation is doing at here.
The fundraiser will feature a three-course luncheon, invitational bull ride with Australia’s top 15 riders, live auction and a line-up of guest speakers including former Wallabies coach, John Connolly; renowned expert in performance under pressure, Dr Jemma King; Matthew Cardinaels CSM, who served as a commando for 18 years and overcame challenges after being wounded in Afghanistan, and Wayne Bennett, who needs no introduction. There will also be entertainment performed by award-winning singer James Blundell. Event MC is radio host and NRL commentator Ben Dobbin.
“This is a very personal event for us as a family and we would love to see as many people there as possible to support this great cause,” says Shelley.
The event will be held on 9 August 2023 at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane, commencing at 12:30pm. Tickets will include a three-course meal and beverage package. Cost is $300 per person, or you can purchase a table of 10 for $2800. Dress code is ‘Cowboy Cocktail’. Tickets are on sale via Eventbrite.
Find more information on the official Facebook page City & Country Raising Buck$.
Contact Marcus Curr on 0427 468 776 or email yelvertoftstation@bigpond.com.
