The Big Frosty Freeze: San Remo to rally for late local legend

A late, beloved local icon will be memorialised at the San Remo Hotel-Motel's annual motor-neurone disease (MND) fundraiser this Sunday, as the community gathers to raise funds and awareness for a degenerative condition which affects thousands of Australians.

Terry "Frosty" Miller lost his battle with the beast earlier this year, around 18 months after being diagnosed with MND - a rapidly progressing, cruel and incurable disease - but his familiar smile lives on.

Following the Kilcunda farmer's passing in January, the team at the San Remo Hotel-Motel galvanised to turn grief into action and renamed their MND fundraiser "The Big 'Frosty' Freeze" in honour of the Bass Coast community cornerstone.

Now in its fifth year, the event is set to be its largest iteration yet, with live music, raffles, a reverse draw, along with live and silent auctions.

Horse trainer Peter Moody will again MC the dunk tank, where 12 hardy souls including Frosty's daughter and granddaughter will face an icy plunge.

Hotel Manager Ellen Williams said the passing of Frosty, who was a life member of the Kilcunda Bass Football Netball Club and heavily involved in the Kilcunda Lobster Festival, brought the effect of MND close to home.

"We lost one of our friends earlier this year, he was a real local identity and had been a regular here for a very long time," she said.

Ellen said the event had been growing year on year, and while the day would be emotional at times for many, it was a lively and welcoming atmosphere to get down to the pub and be part of something special.

Last year, when drizzly conditions did nothing to dampen pub-goers spirits, the day raised just shy of $27,000 for MND research.

This year the team is aiming to crack the $30,000 barrier in honour of Frosty and is already well on their way.

"We'll be selling long sleeves, hoodies, stubby holders and there are 12 people - local characters who mean a lot to the area - who you can buy a raffle ticket from and have the chance to dunk them," Ellen said.

"We've also got a reverse draw, selling 100 tickets at $100 each for the chance to win $5000, with the other half going straight to MND."

Speaking to Triple M Gippsland recently, Frosty's son Todd Miller encouraged locals to get down and enjoy the day.

"It's a good cause for a bad thing, but the days are really, really fun-filled. There's a lot of laughter and a lot of joy," he said.

"Obviously we're still grieving for (Frosty), but we're just lucky that we grew up as a part of the community down around San Remo and the Bass Coast, because they're just a wonderful bunch of people and when the chips are down they come out of the woodwork."

The Big Frosty Freeze kicks off at the San Remo Hotel-Motel on Marine Parade at 1pm on Sunday June 7.