II Member Solidarity Day, smashing success

57,655 fans flocked to the Camp Nou this Wednesday, thanks in part to Barça and its members’ solidarity. 40,220 tickets were handed out to fans that don’t normally get to attend matches this evening thanks to Seient Lliure solidarity program.

The Second Member Solidarity Day was a fantastic success, as 3,250 social institutions and associations were given tickets - free of charge - for tonight’s Cup match between Barça and Alavés. The social institutions and associations gave out the tickets to individuals throughout Catalonia. The collective work between the Generalitat’s Department for Social Welfare and Family, the Barcelona Council, the Barcelona City Council and Red Cross Catalonia - all organizations were represented in the Camp Nou’s presidential box this evening - was key for tonight to be successful. The initiative was led by the Club’s Social Area and the FC Barcelona Foundation.

Jordi Cardoner, vice-president of the FCB Social Area, thanked the Barça members that freed up their seats for tonight’s match. “We’re very happy that so many people were able to get the chance to watch their heroes, especially the children,” he said. Cardoner also thanked the organizations for the roles they played in the initiative: “thanks to their capacity we were able to give out tickets to more than 3,000 organizations.”

Club members in the presidential box

As a show of gratitude for the members’ collaboration, a total of 10 Club members watched the match from the presidential box. The lucky members were the winners of the draw that took place days prior to the game. Only members that freed up their seats were eligible for to participate in the draw. The winners were: Alfonso Planas, Ramon Noguera, Ricardo Corbi, Enrique Gomis, Enrique Fustier, Juan Ramón Masoliver, Rafael Michavila, M. Luisa Subirana, Alberto Tomas and José L. Pacheco.

In addition, before the match, María del Mar Vila was given a Barça strip signed by the team that she won in the draw. All of these Club members watched the match in the presidential box along with the panel of experts that advise the Oficina de Atención Especializada (OAE).

It was also a special day for 15 cognitive disabled children from the Catalan Association Federation. The 15 children were able to pose for pictures with Tito Vilanova’s starting XI team before the match.

Club member participation, key

The Member Solidarity Day is borne out of a fundamental premise: the complicit participation of Camp Nou season ticket holders to free up their seats free of charge for social, communal interest and civic organizations. In addition to contributing to a social cause, the action to free up seats by the members helped fill up the Camp Nou for a Cup match, a competition that traditionally isn’t too attractive for season ticket holders.