WHAT a spectacular night!Let's Celebrate was the theme of this year's Ipswich and Suffolk Evening Star Press Ball.And there was every reason to do exactly that as The Star smashed its target to raise £20,000 for Suffolk charity Disability Care Enterprise by a whopping £5,000.

By Amanda Cresswell

WHAT a spectacular night!

Let's Celebrate was the theme of this year's Ipswich and Suffolk Evening Star Press Ball.

And there was every reason to do exactly that as The Star smashed its target to raise £20,000 for Suffolk charity Disability Care Enterprise by a whopping £5,000.

The glittering event was beyond our wildest dreams raising a massive £25,911 in just ONE night to help improve the lives of dozens of Suffolk children with disabilities.

Last night's Press Ball, at the County Hotel, Copdock, sponsored by AV Unit and British Gas is fast becoming one of the most glittering events in Suffolk's social calendar.

At the start of the evening the 250 guests were greeted with a Pimms reception, helped out by Basil Fawlty and his sidekick Manuel lookalikes.

And the night got off to a flying start as the search and rescue helicopter from RAF Wattisham circled above.

As the night got underway, cash and cheques just kept pouring in and a totaliser dramatically flashed up to give the latest amount.

With £2,300 already raised by 8pm it was a sure sign of things to come. Carolyne Morey, of Disability Care Enterprise, was delighted with the incredible amount raised.

She said: "This is fantastic in terms of what has been achieved. The children and their parents so appreciate the help that has been given to them.

"I would like to thank everybody for being so generous and making the night such a success. I would also like to thank The Evening Star for choosing the charity and assure everybody that every penny of the money will go to help local children."

Nigel Pickover, Editor of the Evening Star and host of the evening said: "Once again we have smashed our targets to be able to provide equipment for some very special children. All of you help achieve such remarkable results."

A large chunk of the money came from an auction of items. Tickets to a Robbie Williams concert were snapped up for £1,100 and tickets for the centre court at Wimbledon Semi-Final were sold for £400.

Other auctioned items included a two night stay at Henlow Grange, a Chelsea signed football and a weekend golf break for two.

Guests also had the chance to bid for more unusual gifts, such as a 10ft high Sulley, the loveable giant furry star of the recent smash hit movie Monsters Inc.

After the bidding was over guests partied the night away to BeeGees tribute band, Bees Knees, and Abba tribute Abba Illusion.

A casino and a tombola were also included in the evenings events.

Now in its sixth year the Press Ball has now raised an impressive collective sum of more than £160,000.