The online crowdfunding campaign to help Corinthians pay off its stadium debt was finally launched on Wednesday night. In just over 12 hours, fans raised R$5 million through the website doearenacorinthians.com.br/. The objective of the campaign is ambitious: to reach the mark of R$710 million, the value of the São Paulo club’s debt with Caixa Econômica Federal, relating to the construction of the Neo Química Arena.
The campaign had been drafted in recent months, on the initiative of Gaviões da Fiel, the club’s main organizer. After overcoming bureaucratic issues and receiving support from Corinthians management, the campaign was launched on Wednesday night, at 7:10 pm, in a mention of the club’s founding date (1910).
Read more:
Continues after advertising
The demand for donations surprised the organization itself. The fundraising already totaled R$1 million in just 12 hours. At this point, around 40,000 people were in line to access the site. Search for the site, which has suffered repeated drops throughout the day, remains high this Thursday, similar to what happens when purchasing tickets for the most popular shows.
Still on Wednesday night, Gaviões reinforced its request for donations. “In total, there have been 12 thousand donors so far. But we know that this mission is not easy and we need your collaboration and patience. We are working with our partners to normalize the donation process”, wrote the organizer on social media.
Como only
Fans will be able to donate any amount, as long as it starts at R$5. It is possible to make several donations, always via Pix. To do so, the interested party needs to fill out a registration form, with full name, CPF or CPNJ, cell phone number, email and address. As confirmation, the fan will receive a virtual certificate. If the donation reaches at least R$100, the donor will have their name displayed on a physical mural to be erected in the stadium itself.
Continues after advertising
Initially, the online fundraising lasts for six months. If the amount is reached before this date, the collection will be suspended. Only at the end of the campaign will it be possible to operate the bank account that receives donations. The account is at Caixa Econômica Federal itself.
This type of account is called “escrow” (guarantee/guarantee, in English) and has different characteristics from a traditional bank account to provide guarantees for different types of commercial agreements. In practice, the money will not pass through the coffers of Corinthians or Gaviões.
