NEIGHBOURS who turned their street into a spectacular festive lights show for two charities have raised £1,800 - but they want to top £2,000 by the time the lights are switched off early in January.
Visitors to the lights on Robin Royd Avenue in Mirfield have been urged to show their appreciation by donating money.
Derek Highe's home is covered in lights along with the two houses of his neighbours, Bob and Margaret Swailes and David and Tracey Green.
On the big switch-on night, the road was shut off, Skelmanthorpe Brass Band played and a party raised £1,000.
But Mr Highe then put a sign in his garden urging people to pop donations through his letterbox and the total has now reached £1,800.
Mr Highe said: "We're absolutely delighted and can't thank people enough for their generosity.
"We've been rather overwhelmed by it all and would love to reach the £2,000 target by the start of 2004."
One of the charities set to benefit is the Oesophageal Patients' Association, which helped a friend of Mr Highe's who died from cancer.
David Owens, from Dewsbury, played football with the Wheelwright Old Boys in Dewsbury.
He died from cancer just below the oesophagus, which is the gullet. Mr Owens was counselled by the association during his illness.
The other good cause is a fund for five-year-old Zak James from Lower Hopton, who has leukaemia.
His family aims to take him to Disney World in Florida next year when he is recovering from his treatment.
Zak, a pupil at Hopton Junior, Infants and Nursery School, has had a tough time since he was diagnosed with leukaemia in January 2001.
He has had a tube in a main artery in his chest which doctors use to give him chemotherapy and other medication.
The tube will be removed early next year and Zak's family - mum, Fiona, dad Geraint and seven-year-old sister, Jamie, hope to take him to Florida in October. Fundraising is now well under way.
The Christmas lights total so far includes £146 by hairdressers Studio Dee on Sunnybank Road in Mirfield which raffled a chocolate Christmas cabin.
