Wow! Just Wow!
What a great day! An event that started out with a goal of bringing together 1,000 women, and maybe raising half a million dollars turned out to be an even bigger success than expected. They completely sold out and then some guys - we were 1,400 1,500 strong and together we brought in over $1 MILLION for Hillary's history-making run for the White House!
My daughter and I got down to the event at around 4 or so - just in time for the check-in. The campaign thought ahead - goodie bags were at the ready for the kids so they wouldn't get fussy or hungry. Just the thing for an excited and bouncy 7 year old.
Each table host was encouraged to name a woman who they admire or has made a difference in their lives. The honoree at our table was Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who has worked night and day on behalf of her friend Hillary.
Everyone's been working hard for our gal - and I think this video says it all as to why...
Our table was right up front and Stephanie Tubbs Jones was really full of energy and enthusiasm as she took to the stage to kick off the event. Later, a friend of mine overheard someone ask her about adding another event to her schedule and she said she hadn't had a weekend off in 6 weeks (but I think she said yeah send me in - I'll do all I can to help Hillary win this thing). She has been working tirelessly for Hillary - so hard - and was the emcee for this afternoon / evening's event. Terry McAuliffe was standing near our table most of the time - right near the door for the VIPs (Chelsea & Mrs. Rodham). They need to get Terry a bigger coffee cup - the guy was constantly re-filling it. Chelsea was great - it's so cool to see how terrific she's turned out. And you should have seen Terry McAuliffe and Cong. Tubbs Jones clapping and hanging out while the local choir was singing.
Hillary - as always - was amazing. Nothing fazes her either guys. She's been putting in 16 - 18 hour days for the past 15 months and she's still standing tall and strong. She walked into the room and said hello - took pictures with the many friends and supports along her way in to the podium, and walked up on to the stage with her niece Fiona. A babe in arms - Chelsea introduced us to Fiona from the stage earlier and then handed her to grandma Rodham. I'm sure seeing that baby fired up ideas of grandbabies in Hillary's mind as well. This event was centered around generations of women and you should have seen all the young girls - and even a few boys that had come to this event with their moms. And with mothers day approaching, Hillary talked a bit about how this campaign is all about the children, and the work our next president will need to do - the things she'll need to accomplish on their behalf.
I've never been prouder of my own sweet daughter. As I mentioned the other evening, I was a bit worried about how well she would handle being in a crowd of folks without easy access to - well everything. But she was so well-behaved and cheered right along with the rest of us. She sat on my lap for a while and drew a few pictures if she got bored or tired. It's like she grew up a year or two since that event at Bowie State in Feb. Since our table was right up front along the rope line near the door she was to leave through, we got the chance to shake Hillary's hand and tell her how much she means to us. One of the volunteers took my camera and got a few pictures of my daughter and Hillary, and some of my friends with Hillary. We had a great group at my table too - friends from our local leadership group and a couple women I know from the phone bank at HQ. What an evening!
We got home around 9:30 (just an hour past my daughter's usual bedtime) and I just got her to bed about 20 minutes ago. She'll have quite the story to tell her friends at school tomorrow and for years to come. I'll try to upload pictures to my photobucket page and send them out to friends and family tomorrow night - but I wanted to get a report out to my good friends here before I crash.
Tomorrow's another day you guys. We raised $1 million today but they're still going to need to raise some serious money if Hillary's going to compete in the upcoming six states. So if it's been a while since you last donated please - see if you can send Hillary some love. You may not have been able to join us today, but donate and let Hillary know you've got her back.
UPDATE
A friend sent me an article on the wall street journal about today's event. Check it out...
A crowd of 1,500 gathered at the “Generations of Women for Hillary” fundraiser at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, paying at least $250 a plate and helping to raise about $1 million for the campaign. Campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe, addressing attendees, offered no indication that Clinton would be slowing down in her bid for the White House. “She is going to Denver as the nominee of the Democratic Party of the United States of America. And then she’s going to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as the president of the United States of America,” he told the cheering audience.snip
“I’ve been counted out more than once. But thanks to all of you I’ve come back,” Clinton said, earning a thunderous, extended ovation. She later added, “When I was counted out in New Hampshire, it was the women of New Hampshire who came back and said, ‘No, she’s not finished yet.’ When I was counted out before Super Tuesday it was women from California to Massachusetts who came and said ‘No, we’re not finished yet.’ When I was counted out before Ohio, before Indiana, we have always come back.”
The article also mentions something that I forgot to include - that as Hillary came into the room we were all waving our white cloth napkins in a circle over our heads. If memory serves - white was one of the colors of the Suffragist movement oh so many years ago. Pretty cool eh?
She still can't do this without our help gang...
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