The Team of Revelers has raised a little bit more than $24 million dollars so far, and yet we're getting e mails from Michelle Obama almost hourly, asking us to donate to Barack's Big Day. That's because The Inauguration donation goal is $40-$45 million dollars.Hmm, twelve days left to raise $16-$20 million. That's a lotta cupcakes to bake, even for Barack and Michelle. We're kinda thrilled that the Team of Revelers has also added a new vocab word to The Culture: Bundlers. Sounds like people interested in baby care, perhaps, but really it's high-level donors who get together in pools to bypass the Inauguration Committee-proscribed donation limit of $50,000. Collectively, the Barackanalia Bundlers have given $21.6 million, and many have personally donated $50 K. But as we blogged here, even big bux donors still don't quite know what they get for that $50 K. But hey, these days $50 K seems like loose change, doesn't it, when Bam is warning us that we're facing a $1 trillion deficit.
The Team of Revelers is hopeful that they're going to meet their goal through small donations, and that's where Michelle Obama's e mails come in. The e mails are asking for just $5, and the Team of Revelers is now running a contest. Tell 'em why The Inauguration is important to you, and if you write about it movingly or wittily enough, they'll fly you to DC and get you into some kind of event! Michelle just told us that Cynthia Russell of Newberry, Florida is the first contest winner. Here's what Cindy wrote:
"I'm a single woman who has been building homes for over 18 years. I've supported myself and have been able to help out my mother from time to time. Now I find myself wondering how much longer I can hold on and be able to pay my bills and keep the doors open for business. Barack gives me hope. Hope that 2009 will truly bring change to Americans who find themselves in this mess with me."
Make a donation on or before Thursday Jan. 8 by midnight, and you could be palling around with Cindy at The Inauguration. Did we donate? To quote our fave Cupcake candidate, from back in the good ol' days of the campaign, You Betcha!*Katherine Q. Seelye of the New York Times slices & dices the donation stew here.
*Obama cupcake from Trophy Cupcakes and Party
