Un petit article about the Sunshine Appeal

[TA Sunshine Appeal]

http://www.hat-trick.fr/la-tartan-army-brille-par-sa-generosite/

 

[fringo]

Fantastic article but you should post the translation too.

A great summation of TASA and it past and recent history.

[TA Sunshine Appeal]

On 4 June, France will host Scotland in a friendly match, their last before the Euros. It’s an opportunity for the French to discover some new talents but also for them to enjoy a whole evening with the famous Tartan Army. Regardless of the score, one is sure to hear "Flower of Scotland" among other songs resonating several times.

Among the Scottish fans, some will not have spent the afternoon only visiting the city and hanging about in bars. One group, called the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal, will have delivered a cheque for £ 5000 to a French association, Rafael Lorraine.

Officially created in 2003, the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal (TASA) has in fact its origins in the last century. On 4 September 1999, Scotland traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a qualifying match for Euro 2000. Craig Brown's men won 2-1. But what interests us here is a man, Mirza, who decided to support Scotland despite being Bosnian. In 2001, he told his fellow Scottish fans the history of Kemal Karic, a young boy who lost part of his right leg during the war. A decision was made on a Tartan Army internet forum to raise funds to help "Kemo" to have a new prosthesis. More than £ 4,700 was gathered.

The generosity exceeded expectations and all the money was not needed to provide the prosthesis. An idea germinated: give the rest of the sum to a charity in the country hosting the nation from north of Hadrian's Wall, whatever the stakes of the game. The first donation was made during a visit to Vilnius in April 2003 against Lithuania. So, Scotland lost 1-0, but the Tartan Army Message Board Sunshine Appeal (the name of the forum which promoted the group) donated school supplies to children at Žagarė. It was the beginning of a great adventure.

If the name was shortened in 2004, the goal has remained the same: "Bringing a ray of sunshine into the lives of some children in countries where Scotland plays”, explains John Daly, current president. We're not trying to save the world but we realise that we are in reasonably good health, and we have enough money to follow our team worldwide. Regarding the selection of recipients, the association has several criteria: "The charity must be an NGO, non-political and non-religious”.

John, retired 59, and his wife, support Stirling Albion (Scottish D4). But when Scotland plays, they'll be at the games. Today Chairman of the Steering Group, he has been involved with the association since 2007 and a donation in Paris (yes, this is the game where James McFadden silenced the Parc des Princes for eternity). The Steering Group consists of 15 people. "This is the group that decides how the money is spent and try as much as possible to raise funds. In addition to this core, hundreds of other fans make their contribution by raising funds on our behalf. They organizs collections, outings ... One of them ran the Paris Marathon last year and raised £3,000. Some annual events have even been created like the" Kilted Golf Day where participants play golf in kilts and raise approximately £ 3,500.

Clark Gillies is one such person who gives his time to TASA. This Aberdeen fan began by making small donations here and there, buying their T-shirts and badges mostly. Then in 2010, while traveling in Macedonia, he took another step: “They had bags full of candy, toys and other things for the children of an orphanage in Skopje (Macedonian capital, Ed). I agreed to take 6 or more of these bags in my luggage to help. It was a hook. Since then Clark has raised funds and awareness with sponsored walks.

Last year, taking advantage of the visit of Scotland to Georgia, Clark organised a trip for a few friends. Except that in the end he ended up with 80 people. "After all the money has been collected and the guide paid, I had a surplus of £130. Rather than keep it, I gave it to the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal. And Clark, who will celebrate his fiftieth game away as Scottish fan on 4 June, is now a member of the Steering Group. For the record, it was during the trip to Lithuania in 2003, even as TASA made its first donation, that Clark met his wife.

Without the support of people like Clark, TASA would struggle to fulfill its mission. It is not supported by the Scottish FA. And when John Daly asked for help from the Scottish FA to help get match tickets in Malta for two members of the association to which the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal will make a donation Sunday, (Scotland faces Italy's friendly), it has managed to get a negative answer. But that’s not enough to discourage all these volunteers.

For, in addition to giving a smile to children struggling against serious illness or having difficult living conditions, men and women who volunteer their time also keep in mind some memorable anecdotes. Thus, in Serbia in March 2013, during a qualifying match for the World Cup, TASA made a donation to a charity concerned with accommodating children. John tells us more: "Children had challenged us to a football game but it started to snow. We did not have football gear or adequate footwear. However, the match was still played with a team in football gear and a team in a kilts. In the snow. "Unlike the real Scotland team who lost 2-0, the small group of volunteers won 5-3. A great performance.”

The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal has able to increase its donations over the years and, since last year, and a decision of the AGM this year, the sum of £ 5000 is distributed every time. But John is a little worried, "We know that Scotland will play six away games in 2016. It will be difficult for us this year”. No doubt that with the motivation of its incredible members, whether in the Steering Group or their thousands of supporters, this charity will continue to bring happiness into the lives of hundreds of children.

[fringo]

Superb.