LANDLORDS and landladies across East Lancashire are to go head-to-head for the right to land a dream holiday in the Canary Islands... and give the Magic Eye Scanner Appeal a massive cash boost!

Warm-hearted brewers Daniel Thwaites have put up the superb prize and opened the Sunshine Bonanza contest to all their pubs in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph circulation area.

"The format is quite simple -- the licensees who raise the most money over the next six weeks will win a week's break in Tenerife in October," said Thwaites' district sales manager Roger Elliott.

"Pubs are always keen on supporting worthy causes and we can think of no better cause in our region right now than the Magic Eye.

"It has touched our hearts as we feel sure it has touched the hearts of people across East Lancashire.

"The aim is to raise as much money as possible and we know we can count on great support from our customers."

The Sunshine Bonanza kicks off this week and will run through until September 27.

The East Lancashire Magic Eye Appeal hopes to raise £200,000 for an endoscopic ultrasound scanner which will benefit patients suffering from stomach and oesophagus cancer thanks to faster diagnosis.

It will benefit the whole of East Lancashire and generous fund-raisers have already donated £56,000 towards our target.

One of the first fund-raisers is a bungee-jump and disco night to be held at the Coaching House, Burnley, on Friday, starting at 6pm. And Ken Cheetham from Daneshouse Working Men's Club in Burnley is backing the appeal with an afternoon fundraising concert in September. He said the initiative was a great way to motivate people and will "really encourage landlords to get involved."

Sheila Shaw, appeal co-ordinator, said the competition was the perfect way to keep the appeal in the public eye. She said: "The support from Thwaites has been tremendous and this competition will help touch a lot of people who will get involved with events organised at their local pubs."

Geoff Sutcliffe, licensee of the Rising Sun, Whalley New Road, Blackburn, is the secretary of the Blackburn Licensed Victuallers Association (LVA), and vice-president of the Lancashire and Yorkshire branch of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers. He said: "It's a good idea, it will help the trade and people needing the treatment. It's good to see breweries supporting licensees."

Thwaites Brewers have already displayed their support of the Magic Eye Appeal by sponsoring special car stickers at the launch back in May.

Any cars spotted sporting the stickers -- which can still be obtained from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph office -- have the chance to win prize money.