Beyoncé and Jay-Z do raffle service for Obama
Jay-Z headlines the Barclay's Center on Sep. 28. Flickr via NRK P3
10:37 am Sep. 13, 2012
Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z will be the featured attractions at a fund-raiser for President Obama in New York soon, and the campaign is looking to capitalize with another one of its raffle give-aways.
"I don't usually email you," was the friendly-sounding subject line of an email from Knowles this afternoon, announcing the event and the raffle.
The raffle has become a go-to for Obama this cycle, allowing the campaign to leverage a high-dollar event with some famous names into a contest that attracts smaller donations too.
The supplementary income helped an event with George Clooney raise more than $15 million in May, and the campaign has also done them with Sarah Jessica Parker. (Mitt Romney replicated the idea with his own celebrity: Donald Trump.)
Knowles' mother was on the host committee for an event with Michelle Obama at Locanda Verde in Tribeca in March, for which I was the pool reporter.
I spotted Beyonce leaving the event while I was still being held in the main part of the restaurant, before the first lady spoke.
Here's the email:
Friend --
I usually don't email you -- but I have an amazing invitation I have to share.
Jay and I will be meeting up with President Obama for an evening in NYC sometime soon. And we want you to be there!
Until midnight tonight, if you pitch in $25 or whatever you can, you'll be automatically entered to be flown out to join us.
I've had the honor of meeting President Obama and the First Lady a few times -- and believe me -- it's an opportunity you don't want to miss.
Don't worry about the airfare and hotel, it's taken care of. And you can bring a guest.
But the countdown is on -- this opportunity ends at midnight:
...
Can't wait to meet you!
Love,
B
