Rangers fans have raised thousands of pounds for MND Scotland following the recent tragic passing of Fernando Ricksen.
Against the odds, the former Gers captain bravely battled motor neurone disease for six years and raised funds and awareness of the condition throughout.
Ahead of Rangers vs Aberdeen last Saturday, the Rangers Charity Foundation and MND Scotland joined forces for a bucket collection outside Ibrox.
The response was incredible, with a total of £23,110.32 raised on the day. That works out at not far off 50p from every fan inside the stadium.
“We have been blown away by the generosity of fans, following the tragic death of Fernando Ricksen,” MND Scotland’s Head of Fundraising, Iain McWhirter, told mndscotland.org.uk. “That’s the biggest fundraising total from a bucket collection in our charity’s 38-year history.”
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“Fernando showed us, as with Celtic’s Jimmy Johnstone or rugby’s Doddie Weir, that Motor Neurone Disease can affect anyone at any point in their lives.
“That’s why it’s so important for us to be able to fund research into a cure for MND, so that nobody has to go through this devastating illness ever again.”
Director of the Rangers Charity Foundation, Conal Cochrane, praised the generosity of the Rangers support which “knows no bounds.” He said the remarkable total will “add to Fernando’s legacy whilst helping to tackle this cruel illness.”
Raising over £20,000 from a bucket collection is an incredible feat for which Rangers fans deserve praise.
Fernando Ricksen’s passing touched so many people in connection with the club and the response from the support base has been monumental.
From the heartfelt tributes at the Europa League fixture against Feyenoord to the thousands who paid their respects at the funeral and now this remarkable showing of support for MND Scotland.