Scotland fans leave lasting gift for Providence kids
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On the eve of Scotland’s group stage matchup against Morocco at 6 p.m. Friday at Boston Stadium, Providence’s section of the now-beloved Tartan Army made its biggest donation of the World Cup.
Hundreds of doctors and members of the Tartan Army gathered in the outdoor garden of Hasbro Children’s Hospital to celebrate the Tartan Army’s donation of $10,000 to the facility.
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“The Providence Tartan Army are delighted and proud to be able to support this place and what it stands for because it aligns 100 percent with our values,” Providence Tartan Army member Ian Cox said. “When the Tartan Army comes — some people say invades — we sing, we make friends and we hope to leave a place just a little bit better than we found it.”
The ceremony started with a march in which bagpipers and drummers led the more than 100-person army to the outdoor garden. The large group outlined the circular garden when the march had finished.
After a brief introduction, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley talked about the significant impact the Tartan Army has had across Providence in such a brief amount of time.
“We are so thrilled that so many of you have chosen Providence and Rhode Island to be your home during the tournament,” Smiley said. “As residents and visitors alike get to meet you along the way, we wake up to new surprises every day, like a couple of traffic cones on top of a statue this morning.”
The Tartan Army immediately responded to Smiley’s comments about traffic cones on statues with a cheer.
Smiley also emphasized that while the Tartan Army might be in Providence just for the World Cup, the results of the matches shouldn’t be the only thing the fans take away from their experiences.
“It’s about building a lifetime of memories for yourself and your families, but then also for the families you touched along the way,” Smiley said. “And that’s what’s happening here at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.”
Smiley ended his speech, welcoming the Tartan Army back anytime they wish, as well as thanking them for the gifts and donations they’ve made in just 10 days.
Cox was then welcomed to the microphone, where he took a few seconds to stare in astonishment at the size of the crowd and asked them to give themselves a round of applause. Cox spoke about the hospitality the Tartan Army has experienced, not just in Providence, but across New England.
“We’ve fallen for you and we hope you feel the same,” Cox said.
Cox made sure to specify that the donation didn’t come from a committee within the Tartan Army but from the fans themselves.
“It comes from the thousands of ordinary Scotland supporters, who decided that coming to Providence and being part of something was more than just about 90 minutes of football,” Cox said. “But it would not be too much to say that I could not be prouder of every single one of you.”
Cox hopes that the gift will leave a lasting legacy on the hospital, its patients and its doctors long after the Scotland team is eliminated and the World Cup ends.
“The welcome that Providence and New England have given us, and what our time here has meant to all of us,” Cox said. “That is the legacy we want to leave. Not a score, but a gift that’s both tangible, emotional and we hope outlasts us all.”
Dr. Salley Pels, interim director of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, was also one of the speakers at the event, where she emphasized the impact of the donation. Pels talked about how the money would go toward “expanding access to personalized care and supportive services for children and young adults facing cancer and blood disorders.”
Before the event ended, Cox went to the podium one last time to announce two other gifts the group was donating. The first was a framed T-shirt in the style of the official Providence Tartan Army T-shirt, featuring the names of almost every supporter who donated toward the $10,000.
The next came from 5-year-old Ruby, whose dad is a member of the Tartan Army. Ruby, according to Cox, heard about the Tartan Army visiting Hasbro Children’s Hospital and decided that she wanted to give a gift of her own to the patients. The gift was a box of toys, including a bunch of the now-iconic yellow school buses that the Tartan Army has used to travel from Providence to Boston for game days.
Ruby handed the box to Jasper Casey, Hasbro Children’s 2026 Champion Child, as the two posed for pictures holding yellow school buses in their hands.
The Tartan Army has donated more than $30,000 during its stay in New England. The group has donated $6,500 each to the Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band and Craig Ferguson, the Scottish fan who went viral for walking from Los Angeles to Boston to raise money for mental health services in Scotland, according to The Boston Globe. The group also made another $10,000 donation to a grass-roots soccer program in Rhode Island to get underprivileged kids into soccer, according to The Globe.
After securing three points against Haiti on June 13, Scotland will look to steal points from either Morocco or Brazil in the next week to advance to the Round of 32 and potentially finish atop the group.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Tartan Army gives its largest donation yet to Hasbro Children's