John MacLean gave away a World Cup ticket worth more than $1,000 to a stranger in a Boston pub.

The split-second decision turned a 12-year Portland Community College employee into an international story.

MacLean, the finance and procurement manager in PCC's Office of Planning and Capital Construction, traveled to Boston with his wife, Jodie, for Scotland's opening World Cup match against Haiti on Saturday, June 13.

Scotland hadn't played in a World Cup since 1998, and MacLean, a lifelong supporter who grew up in Scotland, wasn't going to watch from home.

"We weren't about to miss it," MacLean told PCC News in a profile published Tuesday, July 22.

He had an extra ticket he planned to sell. Then, at a pub before the match, he and Jodie met friends of a young Scotland fan identified only as "Jack," who had paid a scammer for a ticket that never arrived. The MacLeans handed over the $1,000 seat for free.

Jack got to see a historic win. Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 that day for their first World Cup victory since 1990.

Jack's friends posted the story on social media. Messages flooded Jodie MacLean's Instagram. Supporters launched a GoFundMe to reimburse the couple, and donations climbed past the ticket price, reaching $3,000 total, according to the PCC profile.

The MacLeans directed the surplus to Craig Ferguson's Tartan Trek, a fundraiser benefiting the Scottish Association for Mental Health.

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 opener. His campaign raised more than $1 million for mental health services in Scotland.

The story drew broadcast media coverage in the United Kingdom. The attention caught MacLean off guard.

"We were gobsmacked," he said. "We had no idea it would explode. There were no haters. It's all been nice."

A Scot who has lived in the United States for 27 years, MacLean lives in Portland's Woodstock neighborhood with Jodie, his wife of 29 years.

The couple met in Scotland while Jodie studied at the Edinburgh College of Art. MacLean has held Portland Timbers season tickets since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2011.

MacLean works in PCC's central Office of Planning and Capital Construction.

The college's Rock Creek Campus at NW 185th Avenue and NW Springville Road serves Bethany, Cedar Mill, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Scotland was later eliminated after a 3-0 loss to Brazil on June 24, in Miami, finishing third in Group C without advancing past the group stage for the ninth time in tournament history.