PCC employee turns $1,000 World Cup ticket into a global wave of kindness
Story by Misty Bouse, photos by Ric Getter
John MacLean is the finance and procurement manager in the Office of Planning and Capital Construction.
A Portland Community College employee turned a $1,000 World Cup ticket into an international act of generosity: giving the coveted seat to a young Scotland supporter who had been scammed, then directing the unexpected wave of donations toward mental health services.
John MacLean, a Southeast Portland resident and longtime Timbers season-ticket holder, made the gift before Scotland’s first World Cup match in 28 years. What began as a split-second decision in a Boston pub soon spread across social media, reached broadcast audiences in the United Kingdom and helped carry the generosity forward through a Scottish mental health fundraiser.
MacLean, a lifelong Scotland supporter and a PCC employee for 12 years, traveled to Boston with his wife, Jodie, for Scotland’s opening match against Haiti. The national team was returning to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the tournament was being played on U.S. soil. The Scots were bounced from the World Cup after a 3-0 loss to Brazil in group play on June 24, finishing third in Group C.
“We weren’t about to miss it,” he said.
MacLean had an extra ticket worth more than $1,000 that he planned to sell. Then he learned that a young Scotland supporter had paid a scammer for a ticket that never arrived.
John MacLean’s World Cup
- MacLean, a 12-year employee at the college, gave a $1,000 World Cup ticket to a young Scotland supporter who had been scammed.
- The act sparked international attention and donations, which MacLean and his wife directed toward Scottish mental health services.
- And, best of all, he got to see his beloved Scots in Boston compete in their first World Cup since 1998.
He and Jodie gave the young fan called “Jack” a ticket for free with only a brief moment to do what felt right through his friends whom they met in a Boston pub. The gift allowed the supporter to experience Scotland’s return to the World Cup and stand alongside the Tartan Army, the passionate supporters of Scotland’s national team.
At PCC, MacLean is the finance and procurement manager in the Office of Planning and Capital Construction. A Scot who has lived in the United States for 27 years, he grew up playing and following soccer and has held Portland Timbers season tickets since the club began MLS play in 2011. He and Jodie, married 29 years, live in the Woodstock neighborhood. The couple met in Scotland while Jodie, an American, was studying at the Edinburgh College of Art.
The ticket giveaway might have ended there. Instead, the fan’s friends shared the story on social media, and messages soon flooded Jodie’s Instagram account.
“We were gobsmacked,” MacLean said. “We had no idea it would explode. There were no haters. It’s all been nice.”
Supporters then launched a GoFundMe campaign to reimburse the MacLeans. As donations surpassed the cost of the ticket, the couple decided the additional money should keep the cycle of generosity going. In total, they raised $3,000 after being reimbursed for the ticket.
They directed it to Craig Ferguson’s Tartan Trek, a fundraiser benefiting Scottish Action for Mental Health, known as SAMH. Ferguson, a Scottish soccer supporter and mental health advocate, walked more than 3,300 miles from the Los Angeles area to Boston in time for Scotland’s opening World Cup match. His campaign raised more than $1 million for mental health services in Scotland.
For MacLean, the story became about much more than soccer. One decision kept a stranger’s World Cup dream from being ruined by a scam; the response helped support people facing mental health challenges. The unexpected attention, including broadcast interviews in the United Kingdom, took some adjustment and provided an important lesson.
“It’s just so different talking about yourself,” MacLean said. “(But) if you are good to people and do the right thing, it grows.”
About Misty Bouse
A Portland Community College public relations specialist, Misty Bouse has been working in college advancement for a decade. A graduate of University of Oregon, Misty has worked as a managing editor for BUILDERNews Magazine and as a contribu... more »