![Organiser Tim Butterfield, Wagga Tigers president Chris Flanigan and first confirmed slider Hamish Wheatley ahead of the DIY Big Freeze event on June 22. Picture by Les Smith Organiser Tim Butterfield, Wagga Tigers president Chris Flanigan and first confirmed slider Hamish Wheatley ahead of the DIY Big Freeze event on June 22. Picture by Les Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/179282453/059dd6b8-d35c-4006-973f-0822e80eef00.jpg/r0_0_5557_3654_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Wagga Tigers will play host to a DIY Big Freeze event on June 22 as they welcome Turvey Park to Robertson Oval.
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Into its 10th year, Big Freeze supporting FightMND has become a staple on the AFL calendar and their annual events have raised just shy of $100 million since 2014.
Tim Butterfield and his wife Jenna are the major organisers behind the Tigers event and he said it's been on the club's agenda for over 12 months.
"We've been wanting to do it for a while," Butterfield said.
"It got brought up at a meeting last year and it just didn't go any further, but I decided to grab it by the horns this year and made it happen.
"We've got hold of a slide from Steel Supplies in Coolamon, they've got one specially made for it so that's coming out.
"The more I run with it the more everyone has got onboard with it, it's full steam ahead now and we are looking forward to the game against Turvey Park.
"It's been a lot of fun and it's amazing what such a good cause does to momentum and lots of people want to get involved.
"As soon as you say what you are doing people love it and I'm sure it will not be hard to get additional volunteers.
"It's really good to see the community's response and from the footy club as a whole."
Butterfield had initially put up a fundraising goal of $5000, however he believed they might be able to easily exceed that target.
"We've already got $900 and it's only been spruiked online for a couple of days now," he said.
"We are starting to build the advertising and social media campaign for it.
"I put online $5000, but if we are nearly at $1000 without really pushing it then hopefully we can get double that and get to $10,000."
The event will coincide with the 30-year 1994 Riverina League First Grade premiership reunion which could see coach Terry Daniher return to Robertson Oval.
Butterfield revealed he had ambitions of sending Daniher down the slide, however he conceded that he had yet to finalise any plans.
Wagga Tigers junior club president Hamish Wheatley is the first confirmed slider and Butterfield said he was still building the roster to head into the icy waters.
"I'm still on the recruit and at the moment we've only put it out to Tigers, but we want to reach out to Turvey Park," he said.
"We might collaborate with the Bulldogs and see if we can get them involved in it too."
Wheatley said he was looking forward to the event and he believed that it was great that the club was getting involved in such a worthy cause.
"I'm looking forward to jumping in the water and celebrating with everyone at the event," Wheatley said.
"Tim has really done a power of work to get on top of it and try and organise everyone, it's something he's been passionate about from the committee meeting where he brought it up."
One of the key aspects of a successful slide is the costume that one goes down in, however Wheatley admitted that he hadn't yet given any thought as to what he might dress up as.
"That's news to me in terms of costume," he said.
"I was going to go for the full swimming outfit, but I don't mind baring a bit of skin so we'll see what happens there.
"I might surprise everyone with an outlandish costume as well."
Tigers A grade coach Jess Allen has also been confirmed to head down the slide, despite the netball games being played at Maher Oval on the day of the event.