ORGANISERS of the Darwen Superscan Appeal have launched a grand prize draw aiming to make it the biggest the town has ever seen.

Chairman Ian Ashton is calling on local businesses, shopkeepers and members of the public to rally together to help raise money for the appeal which is fast approaching the £600,000 mark.

The group is hoping to raise more than £10,000 from the raffle - scheduled to take place in the first week of December - and is looking for up to 500 prizes.

Mr Ashton said: "This is a great opportunity for the whole community to get together and support a very worthwhile cause. This is the biggest project we have worked on and prizes can vary from a day at the hairdressers to dinner for two at a top restaurant - we are open to all offers."

Since the Superscan appeal was launched in October 1995, the Darwen branch has raised more then £32,000 with the successful Swimathon at Darwen Leisure Centre which raised £5,000 the biggest money-spinner so far.

Now the group are aiming to at least double the money raised from the Swimathon as Mr Ashton and his colleagues are ready to except and prize no matter how big or small.

The life-saving Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) scanner which detects a wide variety of serious illnesses and conditions costs around £850,000 and will be housed at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and will benefit the whole of East Lancashire.

Anyone interested in supporting the grand prize draw should contact Mr Ashton on 703666 or phone the Superscan Appeal office on 687146.

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