Karabar Principal Ann-Marie Shannon loves Where’s Wally.

So, clad in red and white stripes, goofy round glasses and holding a life saving bouy she sashayed down the main aisle of Karabar High’s whole school assembly to take her place on a black plastic chair in a blow-up wading pool.

“So why do you want to take part in the MND Big Freeze?” asked one of the Year 7 organisers before she was dowsed in ice-cold water in a Queanbeyan sub alpine winter.

“I have this idea I have to lead by example,” said Ann-Marie Shannon wryly. “Raising awareness of motor neurone disease is a very important cause. And I have a few staff members I am hopefully going to get revenge on,” she added with a grin.

“Five, four, three, two, one!” the school roared, and Year 7 students upended buckets of ice water onto their shrieking principal’s head.

Then the next teacher volunteer was introduced. And the next. And the next.

“Teachers had to raise at least $100 before they could be dunked,” explained Elsie Lindsay one of the organisers, all Year 7 students. “We’ve got twelve teachers being dunked today, and we even had to turn away volunteers!”

They had an initial aim of raising $5,000 but have so far raised more than $12,500.

“It’s sad knowing that teachers here are affected by MND,” said Elsie Lindsay. “We just want to support them as much as we can.”

One of those teachers is Michelle Love, a Technologies Applied Sciences teacher at the school.

“It’s just so great, all this money can go to finding a cure so others don’t have to go through what my family experienced,” Michelle said.

Michelle lost her father to MND seven years ago almost to the day of the assembly.

“It was absolutely devastating. My father was such a fit healthy man looking forward to his retirement.”

A former physical education teacher at the school is living with the disease after being diagnosed nine years ago. Sharon Kirkwood wasn’t able to make it to the assembly but sent a video message to mark the occasion.

“I can no longer walk, swallow or talk. I use an eye gaze device to communicate”, Sharon’s text message read.

“One of the major priorities for me is doing whatever I can to promote awareness of the condition and support fundraising initiatives.”

Michelle Love agrees.

“This fundraising effort means so much to me. We just need to support the research and find a cure.”

Which for principal, Ann-Marie Shannon, means getting dunked a second time.

“Five, four, three, two, one!” the school community obliged.

“All in a good cause!” she said, clutching her towel around her. “All in a good cause.”

If you would like to donate, please use the Karabar High Fundraising link - FightMND - KHS Big Freeze