The Blackpool Evening Gazette and the Blackpool Citizen have joined forces to help the Macmillan Windmill Appeal top the £1m mark.

The appeal was started by Macmillan in order to raise £500,000 for a new £2.9m cancer unit at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital.

ITM Communications pledged to donate £333,000 to the charity if they could raise £88,000 by February 7. Thanks to four local businesses the challenge was met.

Pat Mancini, of Queensdean Association, presented the final cheque which bought the balance to £1,001,030.

She told the Citizen: “I have been raising money for the appeal since it started. I did it all in honour of my late husband, Rudi.

“He was diagnosed with cancer 12 years ago and was cured at Victoria hospital, but he had a heart attack and died two years ago.”

The appeal was also boosted through the Gazette newspaper, with readers of both publications donating cash to push the fund toward its target.

Deputy director of fundraising Elaine Fossett said: “This is an outstanding achievement by the people of Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde, ITM Communications, The Gazette, The Wave and The Citizen.”

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