This morning, the JW Marriott hotel announced that Virginia businessman Earl W. Stafford, 60, purchased the million-dollar “Build Your Own Ball” package—which comes with 300 rooms, four suites, $200,000 in food and beverages, and a heated rooftop tent to watch the inaugural parade—and intends to give it away to more than 100 veterans, disadvantaged people, terminally ill patients, and others.
Stafford will be adding an additional $600,000 to his tab for a breakfast, luncheon, and two balls at the hotel. He’ll also help out his guests with items such as tuxedos, gowns, makeovers, and more if needed. Stafford plans to recruit sponsors to help chip in for the additional costs. He’ll reward their philanthropy with his remaining rooms at the hotel.
Stafford snatched up the package within hours of Obama’s election and has paid in full. The New York Timesreports:
He said he was “led” to the idea by the Lord, although when it first occurred to him in March, he said, it wasn’t fully crystallized. He said he wanted to help people who have worked hard and done everything right but who find themselves without a job or home.
“The hope is that this will be contagious, that others will say, ‘I can do a little good, I might not be able to hold an inaugural ball or celebration, but I can do something for my neighbor without condition, without return,’ ” he said.
The recipients of Stafford’s gift have not yet been selected.
Virginia Businessman to Make Inaugural Dreams Come True
Would you pay $1 million for an inaugural hotel package? One man did—and he’s giving it away.
This morning, the JW Marriott hotel announced that Virginia businessman Earl W. Stafford, 60, purchased the million-dollar “Build Your Own Ball” package—which comes with 300 rooms, four suites, $200,000 in food and beverages, and a heated rooftop tent to watch the inaugural parade—and intends to give it away to more than 100 veterans, disadvantaged people, terminally ill patients, and others.
Stafford will be adding an additional $600,000 to his tab for a breakfast, luncheon, and two balls at the hotel. He’ll also help out his guests with items such as tuxedos, gowns, makeovers, and more if needed. Stafford plans to recruit sponsors to help chip in for the additional costs. He’ll reward their philanthropy with his remaining rooms at the hotel.
Stafford snatched up the package within hours of Obama’s election and has paid in full. The New York Times reports:
He said he was “led” to the idea by the Lord, although when it first occurred to him in March, he said, it wasn’t fully crystallized. He said he wanted to help people who have worked hard and done everything right but who find themselves without a job or home.
“The hope is that this will be contagious, that others will say, ‘I can do a little good, I might not be able to hold an inaugural ball or celebration, but I can do something for my neighbor without condition, without return,’ ” he said.
The recipients of Stafford’s gift have not yet been selected.
>> All Washingtonian.com inauguration coverage
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Society Photos
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Elon Musk Starts What Is Likely the First Party of His Life, Nationals Fire Longtime Management Team, and Washingtonians Got Carried Away With the Fireworks
Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food
Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut