At last, after many weeks in the planning and development stage, our very own Mybarackobama.com (MYBO) inaugural celebration event has finally found its form, nature and place, and we are thrilled and proud to announce the...
MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social!
http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
We've come full circle, right back where we were supposed to be!
Initially intended to be held in a Capitol Hill church social hall -- and always imagined as an "alternative" ball --, the event grew rapidly in the early flush of euphoria and excitement of our victory in the days following the election, but through the worries and the vagaries of fundraising and just exactly how crowded Washington, DC would be for this historic occasion that we all want to witness and celebrate in a financial environment that encouraged anything but confidence, the MYBO alternative ball's future in the balance, we find ourselves welcomed by the Universalist National Memorial Church, "a liberal Christian church in the heart of the city."
The MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social is intended, as one of our fundraising volunteers put it, to be a ball:
“that will celebrate Obama's election, and celebrate the hard work we did to get to this point – and provide a space to network with fellow Obama supporters to get "fired up" for real change, going forward.
There are tons of official and unofficial inaugural balls, but the difference is this one will be affordable (hence the need for sponsorship) and Obama volunteers will have the first crack at tickets (rather than the tickets just going to the highest bidder.)”
Universalist National Memorial Church provides us an ideal space in the community at a price that allows us to accomplish our mission -- tickets priced so that everyone who would like to attend to meet so many people with whom they have exchanged on MYBO and want to meet after all these months can afford to attend.
For tickets -- $26 per person!! -- http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
BYOC, or bring your own champagne! The event will include food and a bar featuring wine and beer, an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages, but if you would like to raise a toast to Obama with bubbly, please feel free to bring your own bottle, or one to contribute to the bar. You may also help us off-set bar costs by contributing a bottle of white -- the church asks for no red in their furnished parlor, sorry! --, and the caterer will accept for refund any unopened bottles they provide and we do not need to consume.
There will also be music with performances by local and home-grown MYBO talent.
Attire is cocktail or semi-formal, but please wear what makes you feel comforable. If you need to come directly from another event that doesn't permit you to dress for the evening, such as the Day of Service at the MLK Memorial Library, please feel welcome to come as you are.
Sponsors needed! Help make the MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social a success -- become a sponsor at any level you can. Your non tax deductible donation will help with food, bar and entertainment for the evening. It's simple. The more those of you who can afford to give something more, the better the evening for all. It's The Obama Tax Plan at work, so let's put our money where our mouths are! Click here to make your donation. It's easy and fast with Google Check-out.
DC for Obama and Mayor Fenty Office's MLK Day of Service Activity (9 am to 4 pm).
The MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social is joining together with DC for Obama, which will be collaborating with Mayor Fenty's Day of Service events and will be sponsoring supporting those in need through serving food at the MLK Memorial Library throughout the day. Please join us and take a step towards supporting others who may have less.
We will be providing further information on how you can become a part of this important day of community service and hope that you will be able to join us in taking this step to fulfil President-elect Barack Obama's call to community service.
Then, join us for a memorable evening getting to know in person so many of the people with whom you have worked, and with whom you have become friends, on MYBO.
Thank you!
Mary Ritter Jacqueline Ashton de Floris The Organizing Committee
For tickets -- http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
We will be providing further information on how you can become a part of this important day of community service and hope that you will be able to join us in taking this step to fulfill President-elect Barack Obama's call to community service.
Thank you! Mary Ritter Jacqueline Ashton de Floris The Organizing Committee
For tickets -- only $26.00!! -- http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
Please note, all ticket sales are final and non-refundable. In the event that you cannot attend, please let the organizers know so we can release additional tickets for sale. http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
Hello MYBO People,
The very first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 -- originating right here in MYBO -- has a challenge for 40 people in our network of campaign volunteers.
We are trying to secure a venue in Washington that is convenient, on the Metro with space for more than 1000 people, and we are trying to do this for what is regarded as the inauguration that will be the most widely attended in our nation's history. Everybody wants to be there to witness this historic event and celebrate, and maybe nobody more so than those of us here on the MYBO listservs. Obama's Internet Army soldiers.
It's really, really hard to get space in Washington right now, and MYBO has done it. Almost.
So, The Challenge.
We are on the verge of signing a contract for a venue, and to do it we need 40 people to kick in $1,000 so that we can be ready with our check for the down payment before someone else beats us to it.
Your underwriting of the down payment not only assures us the space to hold our very own Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, it will cover $40,000 of our total budget. Think of yourselves as part of Barack's tax plan. That top 5% that will help to reduce ticket prices and make our ball more affordable for everyone--most especially for the 95% of MYBO who need a break after all the donating to the campaign!
What else will you get? You will receive:
What else, you ask?
The undying thanks and devotion of everyone who wants this ball to happen. You can also choose one of our sponsor gifts, once we figure out what they will be.
We need this as quickly as possible. Don't think it over. Reply right away to Russell Miller, our treasurer, at Russell@grassrootsballdc2009, and we go to contract to have a ball!
You don't have $1,000? That's okay.
If you have $500 to help us underwrite the ball, we can guarantee you:
And If you don't have five hundred dollars to get the ball rolling, don't worry. We'll be rolling out other sponsor levels, and tickets will be available shortly at a range of prices that make sense for every working American. (We revere the Constitution, but we're breaking the law of supply and demand.)
This ball is going to be for EVERYONE—or at least as many as the fire codes allow.
Jacqueline Ashton de Floris, Mary Ritter, Russell Miller
Members, Organizing Committee
PS: Money Where Our Mouth Is Department—All three of us are already in as sponsors. It's lonely out here, but we know it won't be for long. Join us!
PPS for shy folks: You can be anonymous sponsors if you like!
PPS: Your sponsorship is not tax deductible.
Your underwriting of the down payment not only assures us the space to hold our very own Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, it will cover $40,000 of our total budget. Think of yourselves as part of Barack's tax plan. That top 5% that will help to reduce ticket prices and make our ball more affordable for everyone--most especially for the 95% of MYBO who need a break after all the donating to the campaign! What else will you get?
You will receive:
The Electronic Republic is here, and it works. You betcha'!
Dear MYBO volunteers, This is to let you know that a core organizing committee has formed and has been working round the clock since Friday to get our Grassroots Ball 2009 off the ground . We have chosen a URL for the event, the website is being developed and will be ready to go soon, we are negotiating with venues and are working to solicit sponsors and underwriters to help keep the ticket price as low as we can make it. This last is an urgent need, and anyone interested in sponsoring, purchasing advertising in the program, underwriting, or investing to help us raise the down payment on the venue should get in touch with one of us right away.
We need to rasie $40,000 before the end of next week to secure our venue big enough for a couple of thousand Obama-supporter volunteers to celebrate the fruits of our hard work, and, for many, finally meet face to face. That may sond like a lot, but remember, it was all our little donations that put Barack over the top!
If you are a fundraiser or have experience as a volunteer doing fundraising for a charitable organization, have the time right now and want to take this on, please let us hear from you! We can help put together a team to assist you.
Once the website is up, we will put the word out so you can check it for information and the announce date for ticket sales. We can no longer accept any requests for reservations by email.
Please contact one of us if you are a volunteer field organizer for the campaign.
