The coast's army of fundraisers were today given a massive pat on the back for the lifesaving tsunami relief effort.
People in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre raised a total of £864,000 to help communities left ruined by the Boxing Day 2004 disaster in s
outh east asia.
The money has been spent on roads, homes, schools, health clinics, water and sanitation, all of which are needed to rebuild entire towns and villages left flattened by the waves.
From pancake frying competitions in Fleetwood to charity rock concerts in Blackpool, local people were able to raise immense sums of money in a short space of time.
But it was from cash donations at charity shops, including Oxfam branches in St Annes, Fleetwood, Cleveleys and Blackpool that a huge portion of the cash was raised
Andrea Brown, from Oxfam in Talbot Road, Blackpool, said: "To be honest that figure comes as no surprise to me.
"The amount of donations we saw during that time was just incredible.
"People were coming in constantly bringing cash and items for us to sell.
"We were inundated with generosity.
"It was the same in all of our other shops. The people of the Fylde should be very proud of what they have given."
Pupils at Blackpool's Waterloo Primary School filled Smarties tubes with coins as their contribution to the relief effort.
Headteacher Peter Rawcliffe was amazed by how much the resort had raised.
He said: "I am rarely lost for words but that is just staggering.
"The pupils worked very hard to do their bit.
"But it seems this was something which just touched people on the Fylde.
"They seem to have been driven to give like they never have before."
The leader of Wyre Council, Russell Forsyth congratulated everyone involved in the fundraising effort.
He said: "The Fylde has a great reputation for generosity and it shows in this case.
"They have done a fantastic job. I am very proud of the people of Wyre, and of the whole of the Fylde coast for what they have done.
"In Wyre, we have a special link to the sea through our fishing industry. The people of Fleetwood showed just how much they cared providing new fishing boats and shelter to communities in Sri Lanka."
Blackpool mayor, Coun Philip Dunne, echoed those congratulations.
He said: "The whole of the Fylde coast deserves a huge pat on the back.
"The amount raised is phenomenal. It just shows what people can do if they put their minds to it."
Brendan Gormley, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, which co-ordinated the fundraising effort, said: "On behalf of all DEC member agencies, I would like to say a big thank you to the people of Blackpool for your amazing generosity. I hope you all have a sense of sharing in this achievement."
