Obama camp touts ‘Neighborhood Inaugural Ball’

President-elect Obama’s inauguration committee is setting
aside a number of tickets solely for Washington, D.C. residents to attend the first-ever
“Neighborhood Inaugural Ball” on the eve of Obama’s swearing-in.

Some of the tickets — the number of which is still
undetermined — will be free, while others will be sold for “an affordable
price” as part of the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s (PIC) pledge to make
Obama’s inauguration the most publicly accessible ever. The ball, to be held at
the Washington Convention Center, will also be open to non-Washington
residents.

{mosads}The event is also set to be webcast throughout the
country and, in keeping with the technological innovations of Obama’s campaign,
officials are planning to text-message updates of the ball to subscribers. The
PIC is planning to release additional details regarding ticket distribution and
the interactive features in the coming weeks.

“This is an inauguration for all Americans,” Obama
stated. “I wanted to make sure that we had an event that would be open to our
new neighborhood here in Washington, D.C., and also neighborhoods across the
country. Michelle and I look forward to joining our fellow Americans across the
country during this very special event.”

The announcement of the gala event comes on the heels of
another opportunity focused at bringing Washington residents to the inaugural
activities. D.C. high school and middle school students have the chance to submit
an essay detailing how they would use community service to contribute to the
improvement of their neighborhood.

Three tickets, reserved for the bleachers along the
parade route next to the presidential reviewing stand in front of the White
House, will be given to the students of the winning essays from each school.

The PIC, for the first time ever, has coordinated with
local and federal officials to open to the public the entire length of the National
Mall, beyond the area of the west front steps of the Capitol where Obama is set
to be sworn in.