BLACKPOOL expects every man, woman and child to do his duty and make the resort's very own D-Day a resounding success.

Donation Day on July 27 will mark the grand finale of a week-long fundraising bid to bring a massive boost to the £2 million MRI scanner appeal.

Every pub, club, theatre and organisation in town has been called upon to join in the MRI Week campaign, billed as the last-ditch push the fund needs to keep the state-of-the-art scanner operational at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

MRI Week starts on July 20, the day before the long-awaited scanner is installed and nine days before its official uveiling.

Proceeds from all events held during the week will be donated to the hospital on Donation Day, the all-embracing round-up to one of the biggest fundraising campaigns ever seen in the Fylde and, indeed, the whole county.

On the big day the Red Arrows, in town for the Kidz Mega fest, will take to the skies over Blackpool Promenade for a spectacular display of aero acrobatics that is expected to attract thousands to the seafront.

For the scanner appeal, the aerial display team will provide a focus for a huge all-day fundraising spectacular that appeal co-ordinators hope will bring in a much-needed fillip to the fund.

Donation forms will be available at Fylde branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland and telephone pledges can be made by credit card by calling 303142.

Appeal co-ordinator Elaine Fossett said: "We hope everyone, whether they are a group or an individual, will try to organise one event for the benefit of the local people who so urgently need this scanner. We urge them all to do something, to make a diary date for one day in the week, to make the event an unrivalled success.

"We thank them all in anticipation of one last donation and for all their efforts during the past two years, soon to be rewarded with the installation of the most up-to-date-scanner operational in an NHS hospital."

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