A virtual seat campaign at Sunday’s rally in support of the Macquarie Point stadium raised almost $10,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Tasmania.
Rally organiser Mark Brown launched the initiative to allow supporters who couldn’t attend in person to participate for $5 per virtual spot.
The campaign sold 2,039 virtual seats, raising $9,938.51 for the charity.
“There’s many thousands of people that are unable to be here today,” Brown told the crowd on Parliament House lawns.
The funds were presented to Mick Peters, Secretary of Muscular Dystrophy Tasmania, during the rally.
Additional cash donations were collected in buckets but weren’t included in the final tally.
Peters said the money would make a real difference to local families.
“This will go a long way to helping families in our community that live with this hideous disease,” he said.
“There’s no cure for it. So, yeah, it means a lot.”
The fundraiser was part of the larger ‘Yes AFL Team, Yes Stadium’ rally supporting the proposed $1.13 billion Macquarie Point stadium.
Tasmania Police estimated 15,000 people attended Sunday’s event.
The rally came a week after approximately 1,500 opponents gathered at the same location to protest the project.
The stadium is a condition of Tasmania’s new AFL team, the Devils, entering the league in 2028.
The Legislative Council will vote on the project this week, with the outcome expected to hinge on two or three undecided independents.
A planning commission report has recommended the stadium not proceed, citing concerns about site suitability, cost-benefit analysis and the potential for additional state debt.
