ENID, OK - Getting a ticket to a presidential inauguration can be a daunting task. There are so many requests and so few tickets in fact that most tickets to the public are given out by way of a lottery system. Tickets for the Inauguration ceremony are free and can only be obtained through the office of your United States Senator or United States Representative.
-
Sen. James Lankford offered residents in his Oklahoma district a chance at tickets granted through a lottery of all who requested through his office. On a whim I threw my name into the ring thinking it would be a great event to cover for Enid Buzz. Lo and behold I was chosen to receive two tickets!
-
Unfortunately I did not think through what winning might entail. The first big hurdle was to figure out if I could find someone to help me and take off work to make the trip. My wife was able to clear her schedule and will attend the event with me allowing me to take more cameras and equipment.
-
Then there was the cost which was unplanned and just after Christmas. The biggest expense seemed to be the hotel stay in Washington D.C. during such a major event. We solved the accommodation problem when we were able to track down some friends that once lived in Enid and had offered us a place to stay if we were ever in the area. That was a huge cost savings.
-
The last hurdle is paying for the airline tickets. Many friends and followers on social media said they would love to help out and suggested I setup a GoFundMe campaign. Although apprehensive about asking for money I knew it was going to be the only way Enid Buzz would be able to cover the event.
-
As an independent community journalist I am always looking for great stories to cover for Enid. Due to the very generous donations of friends, family and followers I was able to reach the exact amount needed for airline tickets. The trip will end up being a quick 48 hour trek but should allow for plenty of time to pick up my tickets, cover the event, snag a few interviews and find souvenirs for donors.
-
I filled out the necessary forms for press passes to the inauguration and parade. Although I had to fill them out after the deadline had passed I was hopeful I would get access to some better picture taking areas. Unfortunately they had so many requests mine was declined.
-
This story has 4 parts: The Beginning – Day One – Day Two Inauguration – Day Two Parade.
-
-
Enid Buzz Gets Tickets To Presidential Inauguration
Two comments:
The Buzz should have withheld all presidential endorsements if the board felt it could not endorse Donald Trump.
It’s a little cheezy to ask folks to fund your trip when your newspaper didn’t want Trump in office in the first place.
Hey F.M., Enid Buzz did exactly that. I did not endorse anyone, it was the Enid News & Eagle newspaper that did. Enid Buzz is an entirely different media company. If Hillary had won I’d still like to have covered the inauguration for Enid, Oklahoma.
Damn. That mindset – “my way or the highway”, says it all. Don’t it? How do you even deal with that? How does one even have compassion for a mind that is made of cement? I know the soul underneath all of that certainty is gods own soul. But it is masked by something impenetrable so that the beauty underneath does not show.