Annual Red For Ruth Day takes place at Lord's on Thursday with spectators encouraged to wear red; Ruth Strauss Foundation, which was established by Sir Andrew Strauss in memory of his late wife, supports families facing the death of a parent
Thursday 18 August 2022 14:04, UK
Lord's once again turned Red for Ruth on Thursday to support families facing the death of a parent.
The Ruth Strauss Foundation was established by former England captain Sir Andrew Strauss in memory of his late wife Ruth, who passed away from a non-smoking lung cancer in December 2018 at the age of 46.
The #RedForRuth Day has since become a staple of England's home summer, with this year's event held on day two of the first LV= Insurance Test between England and South Africa at Lord's.
For more information on how you can donate, visit https://ruthstraussfoundation.com/donate/
The Sky commentators - including Strauss, Michael Atherton and Mel Jones - were decked out in red, while England and South Africa's players wore red caps before play and the stands were packed with spectators in red.
England seamer Stuart Broad told Sky Sports: "Lord's looks very special on days like this and it's amazing that the public who come to watch the cricket support the Ruth Strauss Foundation so brilliantly.
"When you walk out on the field and see Lord's turn red it is a show of amazing solidarity. Days like this bring incredible exposure and funding to help that work continue. It's a credit to the Strauss family."
The entire Ruth Strauss Foundation Test is dedicated to supporting families dealing with grief.
In the United Kingdom, more than 23,600 parents with dependent children die each year, leaving behind over 40,000 bereaved children.
Strauss told Sky Sports: "I had the feeling of being completely lost [when Ruth was diagnosed]. You know what's coming up, it's like the elephant in the room whenever you are together and it's very hard to speak about it openly and honestly without having the help and support to do so.
"I think that's what we realised with the Foundation. The grieving process has already started and it's no good to wait until afterwards.
"You need to have those difficult conversations with the kids, have them as a partnership. As soon as you do, it's like a dam is breaking. This is what we are trying to do.
"The next 12 months for us is about giving training to teachers to offer kids support in a school environment as well as peer-to-peer support. We hear a lot from teenagers, in particular, that while it's okay talking to adults, they want to talk to other kids who have been through something similar.
"The key for us is to reach as many people as possible - 41,000 kids a year are going through this awful ordeal and we want to reach them all if we can. We have to extend our reach in order to do so."
Last summer's Red For Ruth Test at Lord's between England and India raised £1,204,447, surpassing the amount raised in both 2019 and 2020.
Speaking at the time, Strauss said: "In addition to the incredible funds raised, Red for Ruth is also about raising awareness, breaking taboos and, in Ruth's words, helping families 'do death well'.
"To know that because of the wonderful support we've had more families are not facing grief alone and many more up and down the country will be supported over the coming months is exactly what Ruth wanted."
For more information on how you can donate, visit https://ruthstraussfoundation.com/donate/
