$18million donated so far for inauguration

[JoFerret]

http://www.nytimes.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (AP) - The team collecting private donations to finance President Bush's inaugural festivities has taken in $18 million, putting it nearly halfway to its goal of at least $40 million.

Mr. Bush's inaugural committee raised about $4.5 million of that total over the last week, according to information posted Friday on its Web site.

Those donating $250,000 become inaugural "underwriters" and receive tickets to inaugural week events featuring the president and Laura Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne.

The new underwriters include AT&T; Bank of America; the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb; the energy company Cinergy; United Parcel Service; Alex G. Spanos, the owner of the San Diego Chargers; the American Financial Group of Cincinnati and one of its top executives, Carl H. Lindner; the New Energy Corporation, of South Bend, Ind.; Thomas Stephenson, a partner in Sequoia Capital in Atherton, Calif.; and the Strongbow Technologies Corporation, based in Maryland.

Several new contributors gave $100,000 to become inaugural "sponsors," a level of giving that also includes tickets to events leading up to and including the inauguration at the Capitol on Jan. 20.

<more>