December 06, 2006 12:12 AM UTC

Ritter Announces Inauguration Schedule

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• by: Colorado Pols

Click below for the full press release…

Gov.-elect Bill Ritter today announced a full line-up of inaugural festivities that will kick off with a Jan. 9 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol and conclude with a statewide plane tour. A dinner, concert and whistle-stop train tour also will round out the celebration.

Ritter said he hopes the various inaugural events will provide Coloradans with the same level of excitement they found along the campaign trail. “We have a lot of work to do once we take office, but first let’s have a little fun,” Ritter said.

“Our campaign was focused on fulfilling the Colorado Promise for all Coloradans, regardless of their economic, political or geographic station in life,” Ritter added. “We’re taking the same approach to the inauguration festivities. I want all of Colorado to have the opportunity to participate in this momentous occasion.”

Details about inaugural events and how to obtain tickets to the various events will be posted on a new inaugural website, www.coloradopromise.org.

Inaugural events will begin early Tuesday, Jan. 9. Ritter and his wife, Jeannie, will attend a morning church service before the 11 a.m. swearing-in ceremony on the West Steps of the Capitol. Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary J. Mullarkey will perform the swearing-in. Also being sworn in: Barbara O’Brien, lieutenant governor; Cary Kennedy, state treasurer; Mike Coffman, secretary of state; John Suthers, attorney general; and the University of Colorado regents.

The ceremony will be highlighted by a military fly-over, a canon salute, and live musical and dance performances representing Colorado’s diverse cultural communities.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Ritter will greet members of the public in an open receiving line in the Capitol rotunda. The public also is invited to enjoy light refreshments, including coffee, hot chocolate and cookies.

The inaugural dinner and concert will take place Friday Jan. 12 at the Colorado Convention Center. A general reception will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the concert at 8:30 p.m.

Individual tickets to the dinner will be $60 and tickets to the concert will be $20. Visit www.coloradopromise.org for ticket-purchase information.

On Saturday Jan. 13, Ritter will ride a vintage Union-Pacific train along the Front Range for an old-fashioned whistle-stop tour. The inaugural train will start in Greeley and make stops for rallies and speeches in Brighton, Littleton, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The day will conclude with a spaghetti dinner at the Pueblo Union Depot. Tickets to ride the train with Ritter will be available for $300 by contacting Mark Benson at 303.675.0900, mbenson@koncilja.com, 800 18th St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202.

The following weekend, Jan. 20-21, Ritter will embark on a multi-stop plane tour around the state.

To help underwrite the estimated $750,000 cost of the inauguration, corporate and individual sponsorships are being offered. Corporate sponsorship packages are available at $20,000 or $10,000 levels, and individual sponsorship packages are available for $2,500. Those interested in purchasing a sponsorship package should contact the Ritter Inaugural Finance Team at 303.534.0660 or shaylisa@ritterforgovernor.com.

“We hope the entire state of Colorado thoroughly enjoys ringing in the new Ritter-O’Brien administration with this full slate of inaugural events,” said Inaugural Committee co-chairs Frances Koncilja and James Crowe. “These festivities will mark a great beginning to fulfilling the Colorado Promise.”