Sarah Palin raises record amount for Cal State Stanislaus

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Sarah Palin hasn't even taken the stage yet for her appearance at a sold-out fund-raiser celebrating California State University, Stanislaus' 50th anniversary this evening, but she has already made the CSUS Foundation $200,000 richer. That's the after-expenses amount the Foundation will bank from ticket sales an other contributions from her appearance, and university officials said today it's the most money ever raised by the campus from a single fund-raising event:

Sixty-three percent of people attending the event are new donors.

President Hamid Shirvani and university foundation President Matt Swanson announced the figures at a press conference this afternoon just hours ahead of Palin's arrival.

In signing the former Republican vice presidential candidate, Swanson had said the foundation hoped the fund-raiser would bring in more money than any other single event on campus; today, he said he achieved that goal.

Swanson said the event raised a gross total of $450,000 in cash and in-kind gifts; $200,000 is the net amount raised.

University president Hamid Shirvani told reporters:

"This money, $200,000, will go a long way for us. One-third off the bat goes to student scholarships."

Dennis Wyatt, writing in the Manteca Bulletin back in April was right on the money with his prediction:

"When all is said and done, the university foundation will probably pocket a couple hundred thousand dollars free and clear and Palin will get publicity worth 10 times whatever her speaking fee is thanks to the controversy that her detractors have whipped up."

Meanwhile, Sacramento station KTXL-TV says it will provide live video of the governor's speech on its website here beginning at 7PM (9 PM Texas Time).

- JP