The Ruth Strauss Foundation is turning red again this summer, with LV= Insurance dedicating the first Test Match of the series to the Foundation. Day two of the Test, Thursday 18 August, will be their annual #RedforRuth Day. A day dedicated to Ruth Strauss, wife of former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss, who was diagnosed with an incurable non-smoking lung cancer and died in December 2018; she was a mother to two young children.
In her memory, Sir Andrew set up the Ruth Strauss Foundation, with its mission to support families facing the death of a parent and also look to raise awareness of the need for more research into non-smoking lung cancers.
In the United Kingdom alone, more than 23,600 parents with dependent children die each year, leaving behind over 41,000 bereaved children.
Fonix will support this initiative through mobile interactivity for a second year running. Last summer’s Test at Lord’s between England and India raised an incredible £1,204,447 in fundraising. Almost £500,000 was processed through Text to Donate. Fonix also created a Gift Aid site on behalf of the charity and it proved to be very successful for the Foundation with a 58% Gift Aid claim rate. One of the highest we have ever seen on a charity campaign!
With Fonix’s help, the Foundation surpassed the amounts raised in 2019 and 2020, an incredible feat for a charity that is less than four years old and testament to the unwavering support of the cricket family. We look forward to the Test Match and to see the results it brings in for this fantastic charitable cause.