TAKING the bus to work may help save lives this month in an enormous boost to The Evening Star's Christmas Appeal.Ipswich Buses has joined the campaign to buy a £22,000 cardiac ultrasound machine for Ipswich Hospital's accident and emergency department by encouraging people who use the free town centre shuttle service to donate any spare change to the cause from Monday, December 18 to Friday, December 22.
TAKING the bus to work may help save lives this month in an enormous boost to The Evening Star's Christmas Appeal.
Ipswich Buses has joined the campaign to buy a £22,000 cardiac ultrasound machine for Ipswich Hospital's accident and emergency department by encouraging people who use the free town centre shuttle service to donate any spare change to the cause from Monday, December 18 to Friday, December 22.
Malcolm Robson, managing director of Ipswich Buses, said: “The service is free anyway and goes around the town centre so we will be putting a collection box in the vault where people can throw in their coppers and loose change.
“We normally have about 3,000 people use the service each week and because it is getting nearer to Christmas I expect there will be even more, so we are hoping to raise more than £1,000.
“I hope that people are feeling generous to their fellow men at this time of year, especially as we all know someone who has heart problems and will be helped by the appeal.
“So I think people will chuck in their spare coins because they are getting a free bus after all.”
Mr Robson explained that Ipswich Buses had been keen to support the drive to collect money for the ultrasound machine once staff heard how it allows doctors to diagnose acute cardiac conditions, and could help around 1,000 people every year.
Mr Robson added: “The Evening Star's Lifesaver Appeal is a very good way of helping the hospital. It's worthwhile especially at Christmas to try to help others.”
The free bus service, which is sponsored by Suffolk County Council, runs every 20 minutes, and every ten minutes at lunchtime, from 7.15am to 7.15pm.
The route starts at Russell Road and continues to Queen's Street, Dog's Head Street, Bond Street, St Helen's Street, Tower Ramparts, Civic Drive, and back to Russell Road.
To support the campaign people can send cheques made out to Lifesaver: Evening Star Christmas Appeal 2006 to 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1AN or visit www.eveningstar.co.uk.
And members of the East of England Co-operative Society can help by quoting the dividend number 977 at the till.
WEBLINK
www.ipswichbuses.co.uk
www.eveningstar.co.uk
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