Inexpensive tickets make for family-friendly crowds at Rio's Paralympics

The Rio Paralympics may have been on life support a mere two weeks ago. But now, it seems Brazilians can't get enough of the events even if they don't quite understand all of them.

"I learned about Paralympic sports I had never saw before," said Denise Lacerga, who with her extended family spent the day at several Paralympic venues.

• Canada's Paralympians aim to win, promote inclusiveness

"Goalball, it's very nice. The rules [say] we have to keep quiet. It's hard for Brazilians, but that's OK, " she told CBC News on the crowded Olympic plaza.

Goalball is played by visually impaired athletes who have to listen and follow the movements of a rubber ball that jingles as players make diving saves.

'It's really cool'

Eleven-year-old Juan Marines was also unfamiliar with Paralympic sports but came away impressed.

"I think it's amazing. They have alot of difficulties but they can do it. It's really cool," he said.

Rio organizers needed almost $80 million USfrom the local and federal governments to overcome a deep funding gap for the Paralympics after dismal early ticket sales.

Critics also complained money for the Paralympics had been diverted to fix problems with the Olympics.

But Monday, top organizing officials suggested to the media the money had been well spent since so many people were enjoying the events.

#Filltheseats

Families and school children have been especially noticeable at venues.

A global campaign called #filltheseats encouraged charities to buy tickets for Brazilian schoolchildren to attend the Games.

Several Brazilian families who spoke to CBC News suggested inexpensive tickets were largely responsible for getting them out to events.

"We came here and my boyfriend and I are, like, wow,"a woman who would identify herself onlyas Flavia told CBC News.

"There are so many people. I came for the Olympicsand it was not this full. This is much cheaper, before [the Olympics] you paid 100 reals ($40 Cdn)."

She said Paralympic tickets cost as little as $6 Cdn.

Great support

Canadian athletes say the nearly sold-out venues haveadded a lot of excitement to the competition.

"We had heard that things wouldn't be so great with the ticket sales and we had hoped it would turn around,"said Janet McLachlan, who co-captains the women's wheelchair basketball team.

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"It's so great to see people coming out to support Paralympic sport."

Canada's men's and women's wheelchair hoop squads both unfurled banners on the court after their games on Monday, thanking Brazilian fans for their support.

Bigger weekend than Olympics

The International Paralympic Committee says more than 170,000people attended events at the main Paralympic venues on Sunday, more than on any single day of the Olympics.

"People who see Paralympic sport usually change theirattitudes towards those with disabilities and that isthe IPCs goal," said Craig Spence, spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee.

Spence says more than 1.9 million tickets have been sold for the Rio Paralympics, which would make it the second-most attended Paralympic competition ever, after London in 2012.