OUR campaign to raise £100,000 for breast cancer charity Breakthrough is now three quarters of the way to its target.Ray of Hope was launched last April to raise awareness of breast cancer and funds for research into the disease, which around 590 women in Suffolk and 1,100 in Essex are diagnosed with every year.

OUR campaign to raise £100,000 for breast cancer charity Breakthrough is now three quarters of the way to its target.

Ray of Hope was launched last April to raise awareness of breast cancer and funds for research into the disease, which around 590 women in Suffolk and 1,100 in Essex are diagnosed with every year.

Now, thanks to readers' generous donations and imaginative fundraising events, the campaign has smashed through the £75,000 barrier - with £25,000 being added to the total in less than three months.

Linda Grave, one of the founding members of Suffolk Breakthrough, said: “This is fantastic news. We really appreciate the support that readers have given us and are absolutely delighted with the response.

“They have been really great in coming up with their own ideas, from having a couple of friends round for coffee and putting some pennies in a pot to the really big events.

“Please do keep those ideas coming! We have £25,000 to go but our target is in reach.”

EADT columnist Rhona Damant, who was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago at the age of 38 and now has secondary inoperable tumours in her lungs, liver, brain and spine, launched the campaign along with her book.

Sales of Sit Down and Stop Laughing, which is a diary of her experiences of terminal cancer, have helped push Ray of Hope through the £75,000 mark.

In the last ten months people have dressed up in pink and flown the Breakthrough banner while running, eating, dancing, planting crocuses and playing tennis towards the target.

Jenny Gibbs, from Pettaugh, held a pashmina bazaar for Breakthrough at the Mickfield Watergarden Centre and raised £150.

Hazel Oliver, from Chappel, near Colchester, sent in a donation to the appeal after reading Tammy Nunn's story in the EADT.

Tammy, a mum-of-three from Woodbridge, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, raised £2,511.32 for the charity by having her shoulder-length hair shaved off before she started chemotherapy. Her friend David Larter also had his chest waxed by Gold Leisure to help raise the cash.

Mr Thurlow, from Ipswich, sent in £50 for the campaign, while Mrs Hawkes, from Sible Hedingham, and Pam Rushbrook, from Needham Market, also donated.

Cedarwood Primary School, in Kesgrave, raised £70 after the staff decided not to send Christmas cards to each other and instead donated the money to Breakthrough.

Hilary Gibbs, from Harleston, also gave cash to the campaign instead of sending Christmas cards, boosting the appeal by £75, while Catherine Cook, of Aldeburgh, gave £150.

Jean Whybrow, from Hatfield Heath, near Bishops Stortford, sent in £60 from a collection at a concert and another £55 was raised from a dance at Hintlesham.

EADT deputy editor Dominic Castle put on his running shoes for Breakthrough, raising £150 from sponsorship, while an auction of beers donated by Greene King added another £120 to the campaign.

And events are continuing to be held across the county to push the campaign to its total.

More than 150 specially-framed pictures will be on show at Cherry Trees School, in Risby, this weekend to raise money for Breakthrough.

Artist in residence Pam Winbolt, who had a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, arranged the exhibition, which will be open from 10am to 6pm today and from 11am to 5pm tomorrow.

Wendy Compson, the school's headteacher, said: “Each child has drawn, painted or used pastels to create a picture and then Pam invited some of her artist friends to contribute their pictures, so we have professional artists' work mingled in with the children's.”

The exhibition costs £2 to visit, with a cream tea, and all pictures are for sale. Mrs Compson is hoping to raise another £1,000 from the event, after a big breakfast at the school last term raised that amount.

n If you would like to donate money to the Ray of Hope appeal, please send cheques made payable to Breakthrough Breast Cancer to Rebecca Sheppard, Chief Reporter, East Anglian Daily Times, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1AN. Please indicate if you would like Breakthrough to reclaim the tax on your gift.