When the Count Charitable Foundation (CCF) approached Andrew Kennedy and advised that a special $10,000 donation could be made to celebrate CCF reaching $1 million in donations this financial year, the decision on where to allocate the funds was an unusually straightforward one for Count’s Chief Advice Officer.

“Choosing where the business makes donations can be tricky. We have so many amazing charity partners that are worthy recipients, but on this occasion it was much simpler given the struggles of one of our Member firms,” Kennedy said.

As a result, Count’s donation was made to the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Research Institute of Australia (MNDRIA) in support of Troy Kerrigan, a long-standing paraplanner and financial adviser from newly appointed Gold Coast-based Count firm, MAS Wealth, who recently joined the licensee from Total Financial Solutions (TFS).

Troy was diagnosed with MND towards the end of 2019 and had to stop working immediately given the debilitating symptoms associated with the disease. For Troy and his family, the diagnosis was naturally difficult to confront, as there’s currently no cure for the condition that affects nerves and causes the muscles to become weaker, eventually leading to paralysis.

For the team at MAS Wealth, the impact of the shock news was more than just a professional blow.

“Troy has been part of the MAS team for the best part of a decade and is part of the tight-knit family we have formed here,” said their Director, Eric McCay. “We’re right behind Troy and his family and will do whatever we can to help them during this tough time. Troy always enjoyed surfing and the Queensland outdoor lifestyle, so we can only imagine how challenging it is not being able to do those sorts of things now.”

The MNDRIA was established in 1984 to promote medical and scientific research into MND and is driven forward by the vision to understand the causes, find effective treatments and discover cures for MND. Awareness of MND has gained significant traction in recent years with a number of high-profile events launched to raise funds and bring more information to the public, including the annual ‘Big Freeze’ event at the AFL’s Queen’s Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood.

Andrew Kennedy says the CCF is a great way for Count Members to give something back to the community and support a number of worthy causes.

“We have a saying that a professional is a debtor to their profession, so giving back is a critical part of what we do. I’d encourage all of the Members in our network to join up and see the positive outcomes that can be achieved thanks to their contributions.”

The CCF was established in 2004 to support Count Members in their philanthropic endeavours and help them make a significant difference in their local communities.

Since its inception, the CCF has donated more than $9 million to Member nominated charities. If you’d like to find out more and get involved, please email CCF Manager, Lorna Smyth.