Spectators attending the third day of the Women’s Ashes Trial at Trent Bridge on Saturday are encouraged to wear red and show their support for this year’s #RedforRuth campaign to raise funds and awareness for the charity established in memory of the late wife of Sir Andrew Strauss.
The initiative begins preparation for the second day of the second Men’s Ashes Test on June 29, which will mark the fifth annual #RedforRuth day at Lord’s. There, the public is invited to show their support for the foundation that raises awareness and funds to help families facing the death of a parent from cancer by wearing red and donating to charity.
The foundation has raised more than £3m since it was set up in 2019, following the death of Ruth Strauss, who was diagnosed with incurable non-smoking lung cancer at the age of 46. The couple believed in the importance of having candid conversations about her incurable diagnosis, her death, and dying with her two children, who were just 10 and 13 when she passed away in December 2018.
Those funds have allowed the foundation to launch its free family support service, a training program for healthcare professionals called “No Talk Is Too Tough” and build a support system for parents and children based on two missions; to ensure that families with a child facing the death of a parent from cancer are offered professional emotional support to prepare for the future and to advocate for increased awareness, research and collaboration in the fight against non-invasive lung cancers smokers.
“The harsh reality is that since I set up the charity, around 185,000 children will have lost a parent,” said Sir Andrew Strauss. “We are immensely proud and grateful for what we have been able to achieve so far, but we have a long way to go. The ambition is to help as many people as possible, and days like #RedforRuth at Lord’s are vital for us to move forward.”
Heather Knight, captain of the England women’s team, said: “I’ve been a huge fan of the Ruth Strauss Foundation since the first Red for Ruth and I’m delighted that the foundation is coming to the Trent Bridge Test to raise awareness of the amazing work they do. It’s a great cause and the entire England team is fully behind the foundation and its incredible work.”
Lisa Pursehouse, CEO of Trent Bridge, said the venue was delighted to begin preparations for the Lord’s event “with Trent Bridge turning red during the Women’s Ashes game.”
“It’s always encouraging to see cricket fans come together to show their support for such an important cause,” he added. “By wearing red and making a donation to the Ruth Strauss Foundation, fans can help create a stir, help spread the word and make a real difference in the lives of families affected by cancer. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible by wearing her red outfit on June 24 and showing her early support for #RedforRuth.”
Visitors to the grounds can make donations and purchase merchandise to show their support for the foundation.
Visit www.ruthstraussfoundation.com/redforruth for more information