NTI’s raffle of a restored 1946 Ford Jailbar truck named Bonnie has raised $483,000 to support research into motor neurone disease.

Bonnie was the seventh truck restored and raffled by the transport and logistics insurance specialist for the MND & Me Foundation in honour of former CEO Wayne Patterson, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2015 and died three years later.

It brings the total raised by NTI for motor neurone disease research to more than $2.5 million.

Beverly Smith of Redland was named the winner before a crowd of hundreds at the NTI Supercars event in Townsville. Ms Smith, whose mother died of MND two decades ago, was “in complete shock” after buying a single raffle ticket at the Cooly Rocks On festival.

“It’s a cause that’s very close to my heart. I always try to support the foundation in any way that I can, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to actually win the truck,” she said.

About 2500 Australians are living with MND and two die from it each day. NTI funds have allowed researchers to examine how repairing damaged proteins can slow the disease and to test new drugs and treatments.

“Once again, we saw outstanding support from the community,” NTI chief customer officer Janelle Greene said. “This is a cause very important to us.”

It took 2500 hours to restore the truck, worth more than $200,000.