Donation of near £1 million beckons as Paddy Power pledges £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every World Darts Championship 180

World Championship sponsor Paddy Power is going firmly into the fight against prostate cancer with The Big 180 campaign. For every 180 score, £1,000 will be transferred to Prostate Cancer UK.

All money raised from the World Darts Championship will go toward life-saving research to diagnose men earlier and improve the lives of men affected by the most common form of cancer in men.

The donation could easily reach one million pounds. After all, last year 901 maximum scores were thrown at the World Darts Championship. At the time, that would have yielded £901,000 for charity.

Former world champion Dennis Priestley was involved in its launch. Priestley, now 73 years old, was being treated for prostate cancer after being diagnosed in November 2007.

''Nearly all cancers can be beaten if caught early enough, including prostate cancer. I'm the proof after 16 years that if you get it diagnosed early enough you can beat it,'' Priestley informed the PDC website.