Thousands of cricket fans will become nurses on June 7 for Cure Leukaemia Day, to show their support for the Birmingham-based blood cancer charity.
As part of Cure Leukaemia Day, supporters in Edgbaston’s Eric Hollies Stand – once again renamed the Cure Leukaemia Stand for the day - will don nurses’ masks to highlight the charity’s pioneering work in saving lives though the clinical trials and research nurses it helps to fund across the Midlands.
Cure Leukaemia Day will also see Edgbaston donate £1.50 from every ticket sold for the first day of the Test. It is hoped to raise over £60,000 - enough money to help fund three new research nurses.
England captain Andrew Strauss said: “We are delighted to be supporting Cure Leukaemia once again this year. The fact that Cure Leukaemia is saving lives, and giving hope to so many patients, makes it an invaluable cause that all members of the England team are proud to support through our Test at Edgbaston against West Indies”
Cure Leukaemia is an official charity partner to Edgbaston until 2016. As well as the club’s links with the charity, Warwickshire’s director of Cricket Ashley Giles and coach Dougie Brown are both patrons of Cure Leukaemia.
The partnership deal will see the club support the blood cancer charity’s work across a range of events, including the opening day of this summer’s Test Match between England and West Indies at Edgbaston, on the back of last year’s inaugural ‘Cure Leukaemia Day’ at the England v India Test Match, which raised £75,000.
Colin Povey, Chief Executive of Edgbaston, said: “We’ve been working with Cure Leukaemia on a number of initiatives since 2005 and have seen it experience phenomenal growth. It’s now one of the best known charities in the Midlands with the potential to extend its lifesaving work further afield.
“The fact that the charity invests every pound that it raises directly into funding research nurses that administer its lifesaving treatments make it a great local cause that we want to continue supporting.
“Raising £75,000 through the Test Match between England and India last summer was a great achievement, and we are delighted to be able to extend our partnership through to at least 2016.”
Cure Leukaemia Chairman Ian Allen added: “This partnership and the generosity of Edgbaston will make a monumental impact on our work in the future. With the combined support of England and West Indies fans on June 7, we can take a giant stride towards curing leukaemia.”
The money raised by BBC WM’s Red Alert Appeal will help pay for nurses to carry out lifesaving clinical trials for blood cancer patients with drugs not readily available on the NHS.
