JOB DONE!

You've done it! The efforts of 3,500 fun runners helped The Gazette-backed Blackpool's A Knockout appeal smash through the £500,000 mark just hours before it was due to end. The appeal, organised by Blackpool Mayor Coun Robert Wynne, whose year in office ends today, will leave a remarkable legacy for local children.

From this autumn youngsters will no longer have to travel as far as Preston and Liverpool to have a vital scans as the appeal will pay for specialist new MRI facilities for children to be opened at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Before the weekend the appeal total stood at £320,000 - but the efforts of fun run competitors and a generous £100,000 donation from hospital bosses saw it hit the magical half million mark.

Jack Hecht, co-organiser of yesterday's Beaverbrooks 10k Fun Run, said: "We had 200 more runners than we had last year so we're delighted the event has been such a success. We will have raised £100,000 for this appeal thanks to the support and hard work of Robert and his wife Gaynor who have worked tirelessly to raise the charity's profile."

Coun Wynne said: "I've just been overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who has contributed to the appeal "We wanted to do something whereby we could raise all the money in a year. We looked at what sort of money mayors had raised in the past and the highest figure was £35,000. We thought with a bit of effort we could raise £50,000 and the hospital said they would match it to bring the total to £100,000. Then events started to happen and once we got some good publicity, it started to develop its momentum and we realised we were going to exceed our target."

"We kept having to raise the target and now thanks to yesterday's run we are going to be in excess of £400,000. Victoria Hospital is also going to add £100,000, so it will bring the total to half a million pounds which is absolutely amazing."

Work has already started on the MRI suite and the money will also fund a specialist recovery room for children as well as vital staff training. Penny Graham, whose five year-old son Rory was diagnosed with epilepsy two years ago and will need regular scans, welcomed the news. Mrs Graham, 40, of Newton Road, said: "This appeal will save many parents a lot of anxiety because they can have their children treated locally by doctors they know. I can't thank the mayor and mayoress enough for their dedication and hard work - I never doubted they would reach their target."

Beverly Lester, chairman of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The Blackpool's A Knockout appeal has far exceeded expectations. "I would like to say thank you on behalf of the patients, as the developments that this appeal will enable, will be a real asset to them."

Fun in the sun

WHAT do Bloomfield Bear, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Boadicea all have in common?

They all braved the staggering heat to take part in this year’s Blackpool 10K fun run. The sun brought out runners and supporters in their thousands yesterday morning, leaving the Promenade packed from the Hilton Hotel right down to the Pleasure Beach. The ever-popular annual event, now in its 26th year, brings together both serious competitors and fancy dress runners who helped stop the traffic with their wacky attire.

As well as Dorothy and her friends, there were hula girls, can-can dancers, someone in surgical scrubs and even a human whoopee cushion. There were some well known faces among the brightly coloured crowd too, with Blackpool FC manager Simon Grayson, chairman Karl Oyston and club mascot Bloomfield Bear taking part. All proceeds from this year’s run go to the Blackpool’s A Knockout MRI scanning appeal, which is the mayor’s chosen charity and aims to provide MRI scanning facilities to children on the Fylde coast.

With the appeal in its final day before Coun. Robert Wynne steps down, the mayor made it a day to remember by running in a red cape and mock mayoral chain. Live music beside the piers and Sandcastle Waterpark added to the carnival feel as a stunning 3,700 entrants sweated it out. Two Fylde athletes claimed victory, with Lytham’s Jonathon Prowse the overall winner in just under 32 minutes. It was the fifth time the 32- year-old from Blackpool Wyre and Fylde AC has triumphed.

Prowse said: "I’m really pleased to have won. It was tough because it was so warm and my legs are hurting from running yesterday. There was a really nice atmosphere and it’s good to help raise money for charity."

Thornton man Keith Livesey, 49, won the wheelchair race on his hand bike in an highly impressive 27 minutes. First-time winner Keith said: "I certainly wasn’t expecting to win. It does seem a very long way back when you get to the Pleasure Beach!"

The women’s event was won by 34-year-old Anna Pichrtova, who was visiting the resort from the Czech Republic. She said: "I am in England to see my physio and decided to take part as marathon practice. It was a lot of fun." Around 200 Fylde coast schoolchildren later met up at Arnold School for the Mayor’s Mini marathon. Boys and girls aged six to 11 raised over £1,000 for the charity. Fiona Hockey, 10, from Anchorsholme Primary said: "The race was really good fun but hard! I really hope they run it again next year."