By Margaret Maccoll
When Justeen Gregory contracted motor neurone disease in 2016 her son, instrumentalist and composer Shenzo Gregorio, decided to use music to raise money for research into the disease.
The Gypsy Jazz player pitched an idea to charity MND and Me Foundation to run a 40-hour Jammin event, borrowing the concept from 40-hour famine, with the aim to raise $40,000 for MND research.
The first 40-hour-Jammin was held in Brisbane in 2017 with more than 40 musicians performing for 40 hours.
Shenzo said his mother, who was at the end of life stage of her illness, was able to see the first event before passing away just two weeks later.
For the next two years the fundraiser was held on Magnetic Island.
Last year, because of Covid restrictions, a scaled down version was organised and hosted by Kendall Permaculture Farm in Kin Kin and the event was repeated again last Saturday at Kin Kin with a range of performers playing for eight hours to raise money for both MND and the artists whose careers have been impacted by Covid.
“It takes a lot of organising and there’s the possibility of a shutdown,“ Shenzo said. “This way we were still able to put on a show in some capacity.“
Zaia Kendall was happy for the Kendall Permaculture Farm to host the event last year when Covid restrictions threatened to cause its cancellation.
She said the event was lucky this year to gain sponsorship from Tourism Noosa.
Zaia said the farm had operated in Kin Kin for 16 years to become self-sufficient in energy and food providing food for farm occupants as well as 10-15 local families.
The farm also runs courses and workshops on the farm and online to teach people about permaculture.
MND causes messages from the motor neurones in the nerves and brain to gradually stop reaching the muscles leading them to weaken, stiffen and waste. MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe and some people also experience changes to their thinking and behaviour. MND is a life-shortening and progressive disease with no cure.
