TAMB sponsors Sunshine Appeal Burns Supper

[TAMB1]

The Tartan Army Message Board are delighted to announce it will be supporting The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal by sponsoring the first drink at their 2019 Burns Supper.

TAMB is the spiritual home of the Sunshine Appeal and where it all began and we have continued to support since.

We hope our users will support this event too by coming along and enjoying the free drink on us!

Tickets can be purchased HERE

TAMB and the Sunshine Appeal

Being part of the Tartan Army is more than a love of football or representing Scotland abroad.  It’s about making friends wherever we go, and it was one of these friendships that led to the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal.

During a trip to Bosnia in 1999, a local man now known to the Tartan Army simply as “Mirza” embraced Scotland and the Tartan Army.  A couple of years later he made his new friends aware of a boy called Kemal Karic. During the shelling of Sarajevo in 1992, as his mother ran for cover whilst carrying 3 month old Kemal , his leg was blown off just above the knee and his mother was killed.  Now a young boy, Kemal urgently needed funding to pay for a new prosthetic leg.

Ideas for raising money began to circulate around the Tartan Army and before long enough money had been raised to help Kemal.  Indeed, there was money left over and following discussions on the Tartan Army Message Board, it was decided to donate to a needy cause at Scotland’s next away game.  This was in Lithuania in 2003.  And so the Tartan Army Message Board Sunshine Appeal was born.

As more people became aware of the Appeal through the Message Board, it became clear that the fundraising was set to continue. The Tartan Army was showing great generosity and imagination and the Sunshine Appeal made its aim “to bring a little sunshine to the lives of children whose countries were visited by the Tartan Army on tour”

In March 2004 it was decided to change the name from Tartan Army Message Board Sunshine Appeal to the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal (TASA) to reflect the wider involvement of the Tartan Army and reassure contributors that the Sunshine Appeal was not exclusive to the Message Board users.

The story did not end there and in 2007 with Kemo now 15 years old, further specific fundraising allowed for him to finally visit Scotland where he was the mascot for the key Scotland v Italy qualifier. See more on that story here.

Fast forward a few years and TASA has now made 70 consecutive donations in countries in which the Scottish National team has played.  Details on all the past projects can be found HERE

The benefactors are chosen by the TASA Steering Group and are made using strict guidelines.  But generally speaking, they are given to organisations for disadvantaged and chronically ill children.

A presentation is made by footsoldiers and TASA representatives on or around the day of the game.  A bunch of Scottish football fans, all kilted up, going in to make a presentation can make quite an impact for the children and, indeed, for the hard-worked staff too. They really appreciate the personal touch of tartan bedecked fans entertaining them! And a blast on the doodlesac from the piper(s) goes down a treat too.

The Sunshine Appeal was put together by people using their initiative.  Just Scottish football supporters, proud of their country and doing it because they want to.  It’s pure passion – just as Scottish football should be.

Information about the Sunshine Appeal will continue to be posted on the Tartan Army Message Board along with this website and the Sunshine Appeal’s Facebook page.

Everywhere We Go!

Burns Supper

The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal will be hosting the event in the Lomond Suite at HAMPDEN PARK - yes that’s right, at the Home of Scottish Football!

The evening will consist of:

• Pre-dinner drinks reception in the Millennium suite, where you'll enjoy welcome drink, a glass of fizz

• At 19.45 we'll make our way to the Lomond Suite to enjoy a 3 course traditional meal (Hearty Scotch Broth (v)/Haggis, neeps & tatties with Glengoyne single malt whisky jus/Cranachan(v)), with vegetarian alternative main course available

• A small thank you gift from the Sunshine Appeal will be at your seat

Our top notch band to provide the night's entertainment is The Big Stupit Ceilidh Band, who are a four-piece (pipes, guitar, bass and drums) ceilidh band - www.bigstupitceilidh.com

Plus we'll have a local wordsmith to entertain us with some words from The Bard, namely the official poet of Dumbarton FC, Stephen Watt.

Tickets can be purchased HERE