A new limited edition charity jersey unveiled by the Ospreys today will once again raise much needed funds for Welsh charity The Joshua Foundation.
It is the second year that the region has opted to work with the charity, which aims to provide experiences for children with terminal cancer and their families, with a donation from each shirt sold going to the charity.
The Joshua Foundation was created in September 1998 to provide holidays and experiences for children and their families where the child is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Founded by Sarah Cornelius-Price after her son Joshua Cornelius, who died from a rare stomach cancer aged seven, the Joshua Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary on 4th December 2008 and in the years since the charity was founded it has raised more than £5million for kids with cancer.
The Joshua Foundation was originally chosen as the region’s official charity for 2010 and the success of the relationship saw £4,700 donated by the Ospreys at the end of last season from shirt sales and a matchday bucket collection, while the charity also received a signed set of playing jerseys to auction or raffle.
The eye-catching design of the new Kooga manufactured shirt incorporates the black and steel blue colour scheme of the current home jersey, with the addition of an explosive flash print in mulberry and citrus, reflecting the freshness and vigour of the Ospreys. It will be worn for the first time when the Ospreys entertain 2011 Heineken Cup finalists Northampton Saints at the Riverside Hardware Brewery Field on Saturday 22nd October.
Just 1,500 of the shirts will be produced and it will only be available to buy exclusively from the Ospreys Superstore at the Liberty Stadium or online at www.ospreysrugby.com, with the Ospreys making a £3 donation from each sale to the charity.
Ospreys Managing Director, Roger Blyth, said:
“We are delighted to be renewing our relationship with The Joshua Foundation for 2011/12 and unveiling our new charity jersey, which will be the most visible sign of the partnership between the Ospreys and a truly worthy cause that does such a fantastic job helping the young people that they work with.
“Cancer is an illness that continues to blight the lives of many people, and the work of The Joshua Foundation goes a long way to ease the suffering and pain of terminally ill Welsh children and their families. To be able to help them towards their aim, financially and through some of the fantastic experiences we can offer as an organisation, is extremely rewarding for everyone at the Ospreys and continuing this relationship throughout 2011/12 gives us all enormous pleasure.
“The ongoing partnership creates a win-win situation for The Joshua Foundation. The money raised through the sale of the shirts will help enable The Joshua Foundation to provide the experiences for children that prove so memorable, and the increased awareness of their work through the publicity surrounding our partnership will help with their long-term fundraising efforts. Also, as such a high profile sporting organisation we are in a privileged position in that we can provide some unique and very special experiences of our own for children in Wales, bringing extra value to our relationship with The Joshua Foundation.”
Sarah Cornelius-Price, president of the Joshua Foundation, said:
“We are so delighted to be working with the Ospreys again this year. The kids had such a wonderful time last year and we have many more exciting plans for the coming season. A big thank you to all the players and supporters for all they have done.”
Ospreys skipper, Justin Tipuric, added:
“Everyone at the Ospreys is honoured and humbled to be able to work with The Joshua Foundation again this season. We experienced for ourselves last season the fantastic work that the charity does with children in Wales, it’s inspirational stuff, and we are all looking forward to doing what we can again this year.
“The new charity jersey is a really nice looking shirt, and will be a fantastic way of showing your support for a very worthy cause this season. Hopefully, the Ospreys can help to raise revenue and awareness to help The Joshua Foundation through this partnership.”
The playing version of the jersey will have the official Joshua Foundation logo attached to the left sleeve, and the match-worn shirts will be donated to the charity after use for them to be able to raffle or auction to raise further much needed funds.
In addition to the jersey, the Ospreys will also work with the Joshua Foundation in a number of ways between now and the end of the season, including collections at two homes matches, while the Ospreys will also host or attend a number of specially organised events in conjunction with The Joshua Foundation, with the aim of providing special experiences for a number of Welsh children.
There will also be opportunities for the charity to access match tickets and for children to be match day mascots.
Technically, the charity jersey features ground breaking Evaporex ii technology to ensure performance and comfort.
A 100per cent polyester thermal mix designed to wick away perspiration creates the ideal body climate, the vital moisture transfer has been enhanced by a subtle weight reduction ensuring the maximum amount of moisture is drawn away from the skin and forced to the surface to evaporate leaving you cool and comfortable, providing an unsurpassed degree of function, fit and wearability.
The main chest logo utilises new print technologies, silicone gripper print, the same technology as was utilised on this year’s Kooga Australia shirt. The charity jersey is the first in the UK to take advantage of such replica technology, so by purchasing the new Ospreys charity shirt you are benefiting from some of the technological advances available to elite rugby athletes.