Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty late Thursday moved public swearing-in activities and his inaugural ball to later dates in response to the White House’s declaration of a federal holiday Tuesday to mark the death of President Gerald Ford.
Fenty, who had been planning a bash scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center, said the next night the convention center has available to host the bash is the following Saturday, Jan. 6. Tickets that have already been picked up by people planning to attend the event Tuesday will be honored Saturday instead, Fenty said Thursday. The swearing-in ceremonies will be moved to Wednesday, spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said.
A prayer meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning also has been postponed. A new date has not yet been set, Hobson said. As of Thursday, Fenty was within $100,000 of reaching his $500,000 fundraising goal to pay for the festivities, which will be free to the public, he said during a news conference Thursday. Free tickets to the ball can be picked up in the rear lobby of the Frank D. Reeves Center, located at 14th and U streets in Northwest, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. today. Fenty said Thursday he was confident he’d raise the remaining $100,000 to pay for the party.
“We’re asking people to write checks,” Fenty said.
