Gov. Peter Shumlin will forgo a night of revelry and dancing to mark his second inauguration. Instead, he plans to hold an open house to raise money for Irene victims.
Click here for photos of the 2011 inauguaral ball.
At a press conference on Thursday, Shumlin announced the event at the Statehouse will be open to all Vermonters, and proceeds from donations will be given to the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund (VDRF), which provides financial assistance to Irene victims with needs not met by FEMA, private insurance or other funding sources. The fund, fueled by private donations only, has collected $6.8 million and wants to reach $10 million. The fund received a spurt of cash from several large donors during the last three months.
“We know that two years ago people were willing to pay a lot of money to see the governor dance. We think that they’ll pay a lot more to not see him dance,” quipped Chris Graff, a board member for the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund.
Shumlin said his first inaugural ball held at the Sugarbush Resort in Warren raised about $78,000 for the Vermont Family Fund.
“I think it’s fair to say, and I bet President Obama would agree with this, your second inauguration doesn’t necessarily have the same enthusiasm as your first,” Shumlin said.
The event will be held at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 10 in the House Chamber. There will be music and light refreshments. Thought the event is free for the public, businesses and individuals will be encouraged to donate to the fund.
