One of Cumbria's premier annual sporting events is to be held in support of Carlisle United this year as it celebrates its 15th anniversary.

The star-studded summer fund-raising extravaganza will be known in 2009 as the Carlisle United Celebrity Golf Day and will take place on Friday July 3.

For the first time, Carlisle United will receive the proceeds from the combined golf day and black tie celebrity cabaret dinner to be held on the same evening at the Shepherd's Inn in Carlisle.

The event, which has previously been known as the Stan Boardman Celebrity Classic, has proved extremely popular with businesses across the county since first organised by fund-raiser Carol Milnes in 1995. It offers local players the rare chance to team up with stars from the worlds of sport and showbusiness for 18 holes at one of Cumbria's best courses.

The 2009 day-night double-header is again being organised by Carol but now in her new role as business development director with Carlisle United.

Carol, who used to work for Cumbrian Newspapers, said: "This is the 15th year I have organised the celebrity golf event, which has raised considerable sums of money over the years and is now regarded as a premier event on both the sporting and social calender.

"Carlisle United have also run their own golf day in the past but without a dinner, so I am therefore delighted to now be ale to take the football club's golf event to another level for 2009.

"I am inviting local businesses to support the event, which offers not only an ideal opportunity to entertain corporate clients and colleagues but also to simply enjoy a great day and evening out with friends. However, places are limited to 30 teams because of the annual response."

Teams of three players will be matched up with a celebrity golfer for a round during the day before the evening's cabaret dinner, which will include comedy and entertainment as well as a raffle and auction.

Actor Kevin Whately was among the celebrities who played in last year's golf day, which is guaranteed some big names as an official event of the Celebrity Golf Tour. Other VIP participants have included comedians Sir Norman Wisdom and Stan Boardman, along with stars from Coronation Street as well as Carlisle United players and coaching staff.

Carlisle United's chief executive David Allen - one of the club's four co-owners - said: "Carol has a fantastic track record with her golf event and we know she will deliver a highly successful fund-raising event for Carlisle United, which is exactly what we want. She has tremendous enthusiasm and energy and is never short of that essential idea which is required to make an event successful.

"We were glad to welcome her to the club because her knowledge and contacts in the business community are second to none. She also has a natural ability to innovate and develop an event, like our own golf day, which was great fun but much more low key. This is definitely the way forward for it."

It costs £400 to enter a team of three in the Carlsle United Celebrity Golf Day, which also includes tickets for the dinner. Further individual tickets for the dinner are available at £50 each. Holes on the golf course can also be sponsored for £100. Donatons for raffle or auction prizes are also being sought.

For more information, contact Carol on 07714 211 135 or Carlisle United commercial controller Jenny Anderson on 01228 554 155.