Samsung joins #FilltheSeats

Samsung has announced it is donating USD 60,000 to help more Brazilian youngsters attend the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and to ensure the stands continue to be packed with fans throughout the Games which run from 7 to 18 of September.

Samsung‘s donation will support the global crowdfunding #FilltheSeats campaign which has now raised more than USD 300,000.

The campaign was started in late August by Greg Nugent, the former London 2012 marketing director. US Paralympians Tatyana and Hannah McFadden quickly made their own personal donations as did thousands of fans and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) corporate supporters including Samsung.

“Samsung is dedicated to supporting those around the world who are defying barriers because we share the same heritage of overcoming obstacles,” said Helvio Tadashi Kanamaru, Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship Group at Samsung Electronics Latin America. “By supporting #FilltheSeats, we seek to help showcase the essence of the Paralympic Games that inspires and celebrates the spirit of the human challenge and highlight the importance of seeing ability over disability. For Samsung, this is the true meaning of the Paralympic Spirit.”

The #FilltheSeats campaign has surpassed all expectations. The campaign originally aimed to raise USD 15,000 to send 500 youngsters to the Games. But that amount was raised in the first week. Now the new target is to raise enough funds to pay for 10,000 tickets as well as to cover food, transportation and to watch unforgettable sport. (A cost of USD 30 per person.

While ticket sales for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games started slowly a few weeks ago, 1.8 million tickets have now been sold making the Games the second biggest ever in terms of tickets sales.

Many top events have been sold out and athletes have raving about the atmosphere in the venues in Rio.

On Saturday, 170,000 fans were on hand at the Olympic Park, the site of many of the venues. That is the most people to visit the park in one day at either the Olympics or the Paralympics.

Samsung is the International Paralympic Committee’s Worldwide Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment Category.

All #FilltheSeats funds are being donated to the Paralympic Movement’s global governing body and the Agitos Foundation, the IPC’s development arm who are distributing the tickets to the Brazilian youth.

The money raised will pay for Brazilian children and people with an impairment to attend the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The programme is managed as part of Transforma Educacao, the Rio 2016 official education programme, and will target children from across the state of Rio de Janeiro. Their journeys will be co-ordinated and facilitated by a team of trained staff who have been working on the overall programme.

Any surplus or unspent funds will be donated to legacy projects in Brazil and South America focused on sport for people with an impairment.