THE dental practice J D Hull Associates of Okehampton literally had a ball raising money for Cancer Research UK on March 5 — and recently celebrated raising £970, receiving a certificate of thanks from the charity.

Initially, the event ran into trouble when the bitter snow of the winter forced it to be postponed near Christmas.

Undeterred, the fundraisers rearranged the ball for March 5 and after an evening of dancing, a raffle, and a delicious buffet, managed to raise the impressive sum for the cancer charity.

Event organiser Maria Hauerslev said: 'We are really pleased with this result.

'The ball was originally organised for Christmas time, but then it snowed and the venue had to cancel at the last minute, which gave us a big headache.

'However, everyone who had already bought tickets agreed to come to the renamed Spring Ball in March, and it could not have gone better.

'A big thank you to all the staff who made this evening a success, to local businesses that donated draw prizes, to Roadford Lake for the lovely evening, and also thank you to all our patients that bought draw tickets.'

Sylvia Arlett, area manager of Cancer Research UK, said: 'This event was a bit of a roller-coaster for Maria and her team, with the bad weather at Christmas disrupting their best laid plans.

'We're really grateful to Maria and J D Hull for their fantastic support.

'At a time when we were losing events to bad weather, plus the funds they would have raised, Maria successfully re-scheduled the event and has raised a fabulous amount'.

Organisers also expressed thanks to BK Discos, who provided music all evening.

To find out more information about Cancer Research UK, visit http://www.cancerresearchuk">www.cancerresearchuk

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