Warwickshire CC shirts appeal to aid charity
Jul 13 2009 by Brian Halford, Birmingham Mail
WARWICKSHIRE’S Pro40 opener against Middlesex tomorrow will have a special resonance for Bears’ director of cricket Ashley Giles.
The match under the Edgbaston lights (4.40pm start) will be a milestone occasion as the Bears join Middlesex in helping to support charity.
Middlesex have been supporters of Breakthrough Breast Cancer since 2007 and have worn pink shirts to publicise the link. Tomorrow, for one match only, Warwickshire’s players will be wearing a special limited-edition kit with shirts of orange and black, the charity colours of Cure Leukaemia.
It is a cause which has been increasingly close to Giles’ heart since he first became acquainted with it during his benefit year in 2006. Cure Leukaemia received a proportion of his benefit funds as it has done from a number of other Bears beneficiaries in recent years.
Warwickshire’s director of cricket has enormous admiration for the charity, having learned much about the work done by Professor Charlie Craddock and his colleagues at the QE Hospital.
“Professor Craddock has a massive love for cricket and always looks adoringly at the Ashes 2005 as a massive highlight,” Giles said. “He sees sportsmen as superstars in a way, but actually what he does, all the brilliant work in saving lives, makes him the real superstar.
“With all his knowledge and skill, Charlie is an incredible bloke and there are a lot of people doing similar work with Cure Leukaemia. I am very proud to support him.
“They do amazing things and are having a tremendous impact. The death rates from leukaemia are far lower than what they were.
“Tuesday’s game will be a great advert for Cure Leukaemia and raise money too. A percentage of ticket sales will go to them and the shirts we will wear will be sold on their behalf too. I hope a lot of people turn up to support what is a brilliant cause and a real Birmingham charity.”
To show support for the charity tomorrow, spectators are asked to wear orange, with the best orange costume winning two tickets for the Twenty20 finals day at Edgbaston on August 15. Admission prices are adults £15 and children £5 each with a donation from each entry fee going directly to Cure Leukaemia.
