PHIL TAYLOR and Steve Mason were victorious at Wednesday's Darts For Donna Louise Exhibition in Stoke - although it was the PDC's official charity who were the night's biggest winners after raising around £35,000 on the evening.
The world's leading darts players returned to the sport's spiritual home of Stoke for the first time in ten years as the King's Hall - which hosted the first-ever night of Premier League Darts in 2005 - as Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Ian White and Andy Hamilton took to the stage.
The night initially featured the semi-finals and final of the locally-run amateur event Darts For Donna Louise Masters, which was won by Steve Mason.
Mason defeated Andy Beardmore 5-3 in the semi-finals and then saw off Danny key 5-1 in the final, with the latter having enjoyed a 5-1 win over Darren Bullock in their last four clash.
After Mason lifted the specially-designed trophy - created and donated by Sabit Ltd, one of the event's sponsors - the four amateur players then got the chance to take on the four professionals.
Bullock led Adrian Lewis 2-1 before being defeated 4-2 by the two-time World Champion in the opening exhibition game, with Hamilton also coming from behind before defeating Beardmore by the same scoreline.
White then saw off Key 4-2 and Taylor completed the semi-final line-up with a 4-1 win, from a leg down, against Mason.
The semi-finals saw Lewis defeat White 5-4, with the match including the night's show-stopping moment as Lewis took out 150 with a spectacular three bullseyes, before Taylor won 5-2 against Hamilton.
Taylor then defeated Lewis 6-3 in the final, hitting a crowd-pleasing 161 checkout in the process, as he claimed the Darts For Donna Louise Exhibition trophy.
The night saw over 600 fans attend at the King's Hall, with fundraising activities including a Golden Ticket draw to win one of two signed, used match dartboards, with the Donna Louise Children's Hospice raising around £35,000.
PDC Security staff working at the event also donated their fees to the Donna Louise Children's Hospice, while fans were able to enter a 'Three-Dart Challenge' on the night to win tickets to November's SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
Sabit Ltd and Security Plus Ltd were the event's two lead sponsors, with further sponsorship from Phoenix Gas Services and Wade Ceramics.
The Darts For Donna Louise Masters event had allowed almost 200 amateur players from Stoke and Staffordshire to compete, initially in pub and club knockouts in May before the 16 winners played off for places in the final stages at the King's Hall.
Steve Mason qualified from The Roebuck in Chesterton, Andy Beardmore came through the knockout to Ball Haye Green WMC, Darren Bullock won through at JCB Social Club and Danny Key qualified from The Metropolitan in Stafford.
"Stoke's my home and I loved being back on stage here," said Taylor, who is one of the Donna Louise Hospice's 'Charity Champions'.
"The fans came out to support the darts but most of all came to support the charity and it was an incredible turn-out - the people of Stoke should be proud. I can't thank them enough for coming out to see us.
"The Donna Louise Children's Hospice is an amazing place and nights like this are so important to them."
Chelsey Farmer, PDC Partnership Manager at The Donna Louise Children's Hospice said: "It was an amazing night, the atmosphere was unlike anything I'd experienced before!
"Stoke-on–Trent is the capital of darts so we had plenty of darts, singing, dancing and 180's.
"To be able to get our four local legends together playing alongside such talented amateur players was something special which will be remembered for some time to come."
She added: "Partnerships like this are extremely important in not only helping to raise the £3 million needed each year to run our Hospice services, but also to raise awareness of the work we do in supporting over 200 children and their families in Staffordshire and Cheshire."
Phil Taylor will link up once again with the Donna Louise Children's Hospice on Tuesday December 1 for a charity "Evening With" dinner alongside PDC Chairman Barry Hearn and former England goalkeeper David Seaman.
The event will be held at the Moat House Hotel in Stoke, and tickets - priced at £45 each for a three-course meal, entertainment from Steve Womack and the Q&A with the special guests - can be purchased now via 01782 654444 or through www.donnalouisetrust.org.
DARTS COMES HOME - SPECIAL VIDEO
Darts For Donna Louise Masters
Semi-Finals
Steve Mason 5-3 Andy Beardmore
Danny Key 5-1 Darren Bullock
Final
Steve Mason 5-1 Danny Key
Darts For Donna Louise Exhibition
Quarter-Finals
Adrian Lewis 4-2 Darren Bullock
Andy Hamilton 4-2 Andy Beardmore
Ian White 4-2 Danny Key
Phil Taylor 4-1 Steve Mason
Semi-Finals
Adrian Lewis 5-4 Ian White
Phil Taylor 5-2 Andy Hamilton
Final
Phil Taylor 6-3 Adrian Lewis