Jaycees plan gala for those with no tickets

Friday, Nov. 21, 2008

The Greater Waldorf Jaycees and Northern Democratic Club are teaming up to host an inaugural party Jan. 20 with all the merriment of President-elect Barack Obama's historic swearing-in, but without the hassle of hard-to-get tickets and throngs of onlookers.

"The energy of Barack being [elected] president, people are just so excited about it," said Northern Democratic Club President Kathy Kazimer. "We want to keep the enthusiasm up and keep people involved."

The $100-a-head bash, which is slated to run from 6:30 to 11 p.m., includes a full buffet, open bar and two bands. Organizers plan to set up several big-screen televisions to broadcast the inaugural festivities taking place up the road.

Five busloads of out-of-towners are already booked to attend because tickets to many other inaugural events are sold out, hard to find or too costly, Kazimer said.

The Jaycees and Northern Democratic Club are selling 750 tickets and hope to pack the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center with local and out-of-town revelers.

A limited number of tickets to the inauguration ceremony will be distributed through the office of U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) and other congressmen, but demand far outpaces supply and many will try to catch a glimpse of Obama along the parade route or take part in other inaugural events. More than 1 million people are expected to inundate Washington, D.C., to see Obama sworn in as the nation's first African-American president. Hotels throughout Southern Maryland and as far south as Fredericksburg, Va., are booked around the inauguration.

"Everybody wants to celebrate this, so we figured we'd offer an opportunity to the public," said Jaycees President Eric Vrem.

"We're working to make it an exceptional and exciting evening."

The public should put partisan differences aside now that the election is over and many critical issues face the president-elect during his opening months in office, said Vrem, a Republican county commissioner candidate in 2006.

"Party has nothing to do with supporting whoever's president at the time," he said.

Tickets can be reserved by calling the Jaycees center at 301-645-4546 or Kazimer at 301-932-8864.

abrody@somdnews.com