Nashville to hold own inaugural ball

Black-tie gala will help local groups By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • December 31, 2008 When an estimated 1 million people pack Washington, D.C., for Barack Obama's presidential inauguration in three weeks, a few hundred will celebrate at Nashville's own inaugural ball. For $100 each, they'll get food, musical performances, dancing, photo opportunities and the satisfaction of making 2009 a little easier for some Nashvillians. Proceeds will be donated to youth sports, job training and religious groups in Davidson County. The Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church, hopes the event will raise enough money to give each group up to $5,000. "It's a chance for Nashville not to wait for Washington to come and bail us out," said Fuzz. "We knew it could really be something to help Nashville." Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, will be inaugurated at 11 a.m. Central time on Jan. 20. Every inauguration day features numerous balls honoring the new president and vice president and their families. Fuzz and other organizers are hoping to draw 750 people to their 7 p.m. event at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. Asked if he worried that the $100 price tag might make it difficult for some people to attend the black-tie event, Fuzz said there would be other celebrations around town for those people. He hopes it won't be heavily partisan — though there will be a dance called the "Music City U.S.A. Obama Slide." Ralph Schulz, president and chief executive officer of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, is a Republican. But he said it's important for everyone to pull together, so he joined the host committee. "It's a new president, and he's the president of all of us." Information is available at http://www.volunteernashville.com. The New Hope Foundation, a sponsor of the ball, is selling tickets at www.newhope-foundation.org Contact Michael Cass at 259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com.