ELDERLY residents of a York council sheltered housing scheme donated their Christmas presents to a fundraising day for the York Aid appeal.

The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Looker, opened the event at Lovell House, Dringhouses, which included cake stalls, bric-a-brac, a tombola and raffle.

Manager Jo Bateman said the efforts of everyone involved had been "absolutely marvellous", raising a further £525 for York Aid appeal fund, which has now passed the £50,000 mark.

"We are absolutely thrilled. We have never raised this much money in such a short time," she said.

Year 6 pupils at Ralph Butterfield School, in Haxby, made £200 for the tsunami appeal by arranging a sale of cakes and cards after school, with a further £140 raised from donations of pocket money.

Acting head teacher Angela Mitchell said: "When they came back after Christmas, a lot of children were coming up to me and asking what they could do to help, particularly the older ones. We were really pleased that it came from the Year 6 children themselves."

A bring-and-buy sale held at the Evening Press offices in Walmgate raised £388 for York Aid.

York & County Press staff donated unwanted Christmas presents to the event and unsold items are being given to the Red Cross in York.

The event was organised by the company's Staff Liaison Council, which aims to raise £5,000 for York Aid.

At Headlands Primary, in Haxby, ten children in the lunchtime club collected £100 for World Vision by preparing jacket potatoes and salads for the teachers, with the help of kitchen staff. A further £547.70 was raised when pupils donated their pocket money.

Meanwhile, publican Justin Brosneitz and 11 volunteers are hoping to raise £1,000 by pulling a seven-and-a-half ton truck from Hagg Bridge, on the B1228, near Sutton-upon- Derwent, to the Melbourne Arms, in Melbourne, near Pocklington, on Sunday.

Justin said: "You get some really boring charity events so I just thought it would be a little different."

The participants, who will pull the truck in groups of six from 3pm, are being sponsored and drinkers at the pub can take part in a competition to guess how long it will take them. Entry costs £1 and includes a Sunday lunch.

Easingwold policeman Scott Wilkin and his partner, Cathy Rosevear, are organising an auction of promises at The Hall pub, at Thornton-le-Dale, from 2.30pm on January 30 to raise funds for tsunami relief efforts.

There are £3,000 worth of promises pledged, ranging from a luxury weekend in Cornwall and a day's fly-fishing on a private lake to Audi merchandising and restaurant meals. For more information, or if you have any items that could be auctioned, phone Scott on 07775 550952.

Updated: 10:53 Thursday, January 20, 2005