3:30pm Tuesday 9th March 2010
By Liza-Jane Gillespie
THE Gazette campaign in aid of Meningitis UK has reached its target total of £40,000.
The newspaper launched its campaign with the charity last year with the aim of raising £40,000 within 12 months to help find a vaccine against the most common strain of the disease, meningitis group B.
This amount will now help to fund the work of a vaccine researcher for a whole year.
Steve Dayman, the chief executive of Meningitis UK, who lives in Alveston, said: "Considering the economic climate, the Gazette's campaign has been a tremendous success.
"We would like to thank everyone in the area who has dug deep to support our vital work.
"A special thank you should go to the family and friends of Sam Virgo, in particular Rose Hardwick who co-ordinated Sam's memorial walk which raised a staggering £13,000.
"Significant appeals such as this really do make a difference and we're hopeful that it will take us one step closer to finding this elusive vaccine and saving thousands of lives in the future."
The exact amount raised by fundraisers in the Gazette area was £39,791, but Gift Aid will take this amount well over the £40,000 target.
Skip Walker, editor of the Gazette, said: "When we started this campaign with Meningitis UK a year ago I thought £40,000 might be an over-ambitious target for an area that held no large towns or cities.
"However, the generosity of Gazette readers has been a revelation and not only have I been surprised but also very moved by just how deep people have been prepared to dig into their pockets for this particular cause.
"Thank you all for the money, time and talent you have contributed to make the campaign such an incredible success."
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