After two months of fund-raising, the Mercury's hugely-successful Lapland appeal is nearing the end.
At the beginning of August, we set off to try to raise as much money as we could to send seriously ill children to Lapland.
We made it our mission to raise more than £900, the amount it costs to send a poorly child and their parent or guardian to visit Santa. Thanks to our generous readers, local organisations and giving businesses, we've managed to raise more than £7,000.
This means we will be able to pay for six children from the county to spend a day in the magical winter wonderland.
Reporter Yasmin Duffin, who organised the appeal, said: "I'm overwhelmed by the amount of money we've raised. I was worried about getting £900. The fact we now have more than £7,000 is fantastic.
"When I think about how many people have been so kind, it's just brilliant."
Yasmin joined the children and parents on this year's Lapland trip.
She said: "To see how much this means to poorly children, it makes all the fund-raising worth it."
Last weekend, Yasmin organised a quiz in Rugby, where she grew up.
A total of £1,500 was raised during the evening, which included a quiz, a raffle and the auctioning of a Leicester Tigers shirt.
"It was quite emotional," she said. I still can't belive how well people responded.''
We want as many individuals, organisations and businesses to get involved as possible – and you still can, if you have not yet donated. There is still time to donate, as our appeal does not end until Friday.
"All businesses which help us reach our target will be listed on our website.''
A special mention must be given to Cellini Luggage & Leather, in Leicester, who are among those who have helped us reach our target.
You can donate to the appeal by filling out the form on this page and sending it, along with your donation, to: When You Wish Upon A Star Head Office, Futurist House, Valley Road, Nottingham, NG5 1JE.
You can also support the appeal by visiting our Justgiving page:
www.justgiving.com/
For more information, e-mail:
yasminduffin@.co.uk
