Avalanche-Journal: Palin Gets Warm NW Texas Reception (Updated)

Crowd of 1400 turns out for fundraiser
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Although security was tight for her speech and a reception, Governor Palin was warmly received by a crowd of 1400 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Monday night, the Avalanche Journal reports:

Palin said Texas and Alaska are alike because they are “good beacons of freedom” and share similar values and work ethic, said Kristen Vander-Plas, president of the Lubbock Christian University College Republicans.

[...]

Many in the audience were LCS alumni, Vander-Plas said, and the audience as a whole was receptive to Palin’s message as was evident in their frequent applause and cheers.

Some, like Bob Wood, were drawn to the event through sheer curiosity.

He said he came to hear Palin although he does not always agree with what she says.

Others were avid Palin fans wanting to see the woman who made a huge splash in American politics in 2008.

“I believe in Sarah Palin and what she represents for America,” said Linda Hunt of San Angelo, who won free tickets for the event. “Her enthusiasm, her love for America, her honesty and her core values of representing the people and not just special interests.”

[More]

Tickets for the Lubbock Christian School fundraiser were sold out just 38 hours after the event was announced in September.

Updates:

The AP basically just rewrote the Avalanche-Journal story and whined that "Members of the media were not invited." Translation: AP was too arrogant, too cheap and too leftist to buy a ticket like those rubes who actually attended the event.

Post-event comments from an attendee in the comments at Standing 4 Sarah.

- JP

Avalanche-Journal: Gov. Palin will speak in Lubbock this evening

Tickets were sold out 38 hours after the event was announced
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Lubbock's Avalanche-Journal reports that an audience of about 1,400 people is expected at the Memorial Civic Center tonight in the Northwest Texas city as Sarah Palin will speak at an 8PM fundraiser for Lubbock Christian School. Her address will follow a reception at 7PM, according to event producer Andy Hartman:

Tickets to see Palin are sold out — they have been since 38 hours after the event was announced in September, said Stephen Warren, development director for Lubbock Christian School.

Tickets were sold in groups of 10 on several levels, ranging from $2,000 for 10 tickets on the lowest level to $25,000 for 10 tickets at the highest level. Higher-level ticket holders will sit closer to the stage for Palin’s speech and can pose for a picture with Palin at the reception before the speech.

Hartman said Lubbock Christian School officials chose Palin for the event because of her name recognition and Christian values.

“Just having a national, prominent speaker come here — to hear what they have to say about the climate of America,” he said.

Hartman said Palin has not announced the topic of her speech, and Lubbock Christian School officials did not have speech requests for the former governor.

[More]

Hartman advises that security will be tight at the event, and he reminds those planning to attend to make sure they have their photo IDs with them and arrive at least 15 minutes early.

- JP

Date set for Gov. Palin's Lubbock fundraiser

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The Avalance-Journal has more details in its Thursday edition about Lubbock Christian School’s annual fundraiser, where Gov. Palin will be the featured speaker and appear at a reception. The date of Jan. 24 has been chosen for the event, which will be held at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center:

More than half of the approximately 1,400 tickets for the event have already been sold to corporate sponsors, said Peter Dahlstrom, Lubbock Christian School superintendent, at a Wednesday news conference.

Tickets are sold in groups of 10 on several levels, ranging from $2,000 for 10 tickets on the lowest level to $25,000 for 10 tickets at the highest level. Higher-level tickets will be closer to the stage for Palin’s speech and will include posing for a picture with Palin at the reception before the speech.

School officials don’t foresee selling individual tickets, Dahlstrom said. Ticket information can be obtained by calling the school at 796-8700 and asking for development.

[...]

Stephen Warren, development director of Lubbock Christian School... came up with the idea to invite Palin during a spring committee meeting about the fundraiser, Dahlstrom said. Responses ranged from those who thought it would be impossible to get her to those who thought Warren was joking, he said.

Brian Pitaniello, chairman of the Lubbock Christian School board of trustees, said there was a lot of discussion among board members about the proposal to bring Palin to Lubbock, but it was an easy decision to make in the end.

The board members asked themselves if it was in line with the values of the school and where they wanted the school to go, Pitaniello said, and they had confidence in the school administrators who were excited about having Palin as a speaker and were confident they could pull it off.

Few people create more buzz, good and bad, than Palin, he said. People want to hear what she has to say, and she has a lot of followers, Pitaniello said.

“She appears to carry the values she speaks of,” he said.

Dahlstrom said that the school is bringing in Gov. Palin for her energy and excitement. He added that this is the first opportunity the board has had "to bring in a person of national prominence and such current relevance." The most famous person to speak at an LCS fundraiser was former Dallas cowboys coach Tom Landry in 1985.

- JP

Lubbock Media says Sarah Palin coming to Northwest Texas in January

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The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is reporting that Sarah Palin is coming to town:

Lubbock Christian School is bringing Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate and former governor of Alaska, to speak at an event in January.

Local television station KCBD says that "multiple sources" have confirmed:

...that Palin is the person referenced in a vague statement Tuesday morning from Lubbock Christian School.

The statement says "a national figure, best-selling author, and the most prestigious and sought after speaker in America … accepted our offer to speak in Lubbock, Texas."

Even before our sources confirmed the name "Sarah Palin," the Lubbock Christian statement may have given it away by saying, "The speaker débuted the national spotlight in the 2008 presidential election."

The station says the fundraiser will be in January at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center and expects more details about the event to be made public this week.

- JP