LONDON: Edgbaston turned blue Sunday as ICC Cricket for Good, in partnership with UNICEF, delivered the pinnacle event of the tournament wide ‘One Day for Children’ campaign with a special celebration at the England v India match in Birmingham.
The sell-out fixture saw players from both the world’s top ranked one-day sides in special #OneDay4Children branded kit, celebrities and legends of the game participating in unique activations, and fundraising both in stadium and across the live broadcast, while over 24,000 spectators joined in the action at Edgbaston.
The money raised throughout the campaign will support UNICEF’s work for children in cricket playing nations across the world, as the sport’s one billion fans unite to ensure children have the chance to learn, play, and be healthy. A core focus of activities on Sunday was to maximise fundraising from the in-venue and broadcast audience.
Tournament broadcasters Sky and Star Sports ensured that the #OneDay4Children experience reached television audiences around the globe, while ICC commercial partners supported the event with in-match donations. Uber pledging $500 for every 4 scored during the match and Booking.com donating £500 for every wicket taken. In addition, Gray Nicolls created a limited edition light blue bat for the day, with 25% of proceeds going to UNICEF.
David Richardson of the ICC said: “ICC Cricket for Good have enjoyed a long relationship with UNICEF, and we are thrilled to deliver ‘One Day for Children’ alongside them today. We hope that fans in the ground, across the UK and around the world get involved and donate and show the power of the global cricket community to help children play, learn and be healthy.”
Mike Penrose, executive director at UNICEF UK, said: “Partnering with ICC Cricket for Good to deliver ‘One Day for Children’ has allowed us to raise vital funds for children worldwide and show the true power of sport for social good. The money raised through this campaign will continue to help children in cricket playing nations, with many projects using the unique power of cricket to deliver these objectives.”
Steve Elworthy, managing director at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, added: “The experience at Edgbaston today (Sunday) will be unlike any other Cricket World Cup match fans have seen this summer, as we celebrate the #OneDay4Children campaign. With a sell-out ground and potentially hundreds of millions watching around the world, we can tap into the unparalleled power of the tournament’s audience to make a marked difference in children’s lives.”
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