IT'S HERE! One of the biggest charity events ever to be staged across East Lancashire and we want YOU to take part.

Superwalk '96 aims to raise thousands of pounds for the £1 million SuperScan appeal.

And mums, dads, sons, daughters, grandmas, granddads, aunts, uncles, can start limbering up now!

Superwalk '96 will take place on Sunday, May 19, and will cover three 20-mile routes across the district:

Route A - Around Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn.

Route B - Around Burnley, Nelson and Colne.

Route C - Up and down the Rossendale Valley from Haslingden to Bacup and back again.

Walkers can choose their route, but will not have to complete all 20 miles. They can choose their own starting and finishing point.

Each walk is circular and has to be completed in a clockwise direction only. There will be check points about every two miles.

Walkers can start from any check point on their course and either complete the circuit or finish when they have had enough.

SuperScan appeal chairman Mike Trickett said: "Walkers' safety and comforts have been a major priority when selecting these routes. "Great trouble has been taken to ensure good footpaths are available with several local hostelries acting as staging posts.

"But there are also plenty of pubs on every route, so nobody should be hungry or thirsty. Plenty of toilet facilities will also be available."

A free bus will also be circulating the routes so tired walkers can get a lift back to base.

Disabled walkers are invited to take part - even if they can only complete a small part of the walk. Fancy dress walkers will also be especially welcome.

Mike added: "The theme of the day is fun - so dress up and have some fun as you go."

Names are already starting to pour in and the entrants will be published in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Entry is simple and free. Every walker will have to be registered, in one of three ways:

Ring the Superwalk hotlines on 01254 293634 or 01254 293635.

Fill in the Superwalk entry form and post back to the SuperScan appeal office, Queen's Park Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH. The forms are available from Lancashire Evening Telegraph offices, the appeal office and the individual appeal committee chairmen.

Fill in the coupon which will frequently appear in the Evening Telegraph and post to the appeal office address.

The registration will ask for your chosen route and which check point you are going to start from.

Walkers will then receive through the post their own personal sponsorship form or forms. Each form will hold about 20 names and addresses of sponsors.

They will also receive a personal paying in slip to be processed when paying the money into the bank after the walk.

The SuperScan appeal aims to buy a life-saving Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner for East Lancashire people.

During the East Lancashire CT Scanner Appeal in 1988, Superwalk '88 raised more than £100,000 in a single day and was one of the biggest charity efforts ever staged.

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