An evening of fun and fundraising is on the cards at a glittering charity ball.

The Telegraph & Argus Bradford Can...Cancer Research Appeal Celebration Ball takes place on Saturday, February 15, at the Hilton Hotel, Bradford. The black-tie evening will be the last major event in the Bradford Can...Appeal calendar.

Organisers are hoping that the huge £1 million target will be reached by the night of the ball. The appeal, which will fund cancer research in Bradford, stands at £850,000.

Now a fantastic bill of entertainment has been unveiled for the Celebration Ball.

The night will begin at 7pm with a bucks fizz reception, accompanied by live music. Dinner will be at 8pm and afterwards there will be an auction and raffle.

Linda Pollard, chairman of the Bradford Can...Appeal, will speak to guests about the magnificent achievement and where the money will be spent.

A roving magician will then keep everyone amused, followed by live music and a DJ.

Guests will also be able to try their luck at gaming tables.

The event is being sponsored by HSBC and Schofield Sweeney Solicitors.

Phillip Clark, manager of HSBC's Market Street, Bradford, said: "It's a celebration of a local initiative raising funds which are going to be retained in the city through the Bradford Can...Appeal.

"We do need more local businesses to support us in whatever way they feel possible."

Firms can take a table at the ball, advertise in the brochure or donate prizes for the raffle or auction. Bradford Can...Appeal manager Tish Burton, pictured, said the event would be a celebration of the huge effort people throughout the Bradford area had put in to support the appeal.

The initiative was launched in September 2001 and since then thousands of events, large and small, have taken place.

From the gala dinners which raised thousands of pounds to raffles which made hundreds, every one will help the appeal nearer to its target.

The money raised will go towards developing anti-cancer drugs at Bradford University's world-famous Cancer Research Unit and testing them on patients at Bradford Royal Infirmary. Once the £1 million is raised, it will unlock another £5 million for the work from Cancer Research UK.

Tickets for the glittering Celebration Ball cost £400 for a table of ten or £40 each. To book, give a prize or a donation, contact Mick Russell at HSBC on (01274) 332332.