The gala raised $2,622.26, which the organizations will donate to the Democratic National Convention to help fund Kerry's final campaigning efforts. A total of 225 faculty members, community residents and students from the five-college area attended the event.
According to Kate Stayman-London '05, the chair of Amherst Students for Kerry and the organizer of the gala, the event was the largest fund-raising event attempted by any college or university campus nationwide for either candidate.
The festivities included party games featuring anti-Bush slogans. A sign reading "Bush gambles with your money-can you?" invited guests to play poker. Another sign, reading "Don't misunderestimate yourself," implored guests to play jeopardy. Sponsors dubbed bobbing for apples "bobbing for weapons of mass destruction," and called shooting darts against a map of the United States "Nail a Swing State for Kerry."
Megan and the Legs, a student band from the Univeristy of Massachusetts, performed at the event. Local organizations and businesses including Humphries House, the Hungry Newt, Sugar Jones, Black Sheep, Sibie's, Amherst Chinese, Andiamo, Fresh Side and Henion's Bakery donated the food. The College Democrats sold T-shirts with the slogan "Be a smart ass. Vote Democrat" on the back.
Stayman-London gave a short welcome speech. "We really depend on each other a lot in this country. We depend on each other not only to put an event like this together, but we also depend on each other in a larger sense," she said. "We depend on our leaders. The reason we have worked so hard is that our leadership has let us down."
Pete Vickery, an Amherst candidate for the governor's council, and Ellen Story, a candidate for state representative, also spoke at the event. Attendants warmly welcomed both speakers. Vickery began by declaring his belief in John Kerry. "We are going to win," he said. "Good-bye George W. Bush." He cited the international alliances established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman to keep us safe and free as examples of model democratic administrations.
Story said she was encouraged by Friday night's large turn-out. "In my fantasy ... I think [Bush] may get creamed," she said.
Story urged students in the audience to pursue public office in the future. "People like you ... are going to make a real difference," she said. "You're the kind of people who should run for office. You should be at the center of things, making public policy."
Vickery was optimistic about the impact of young voters on the upcoming election. "My field director in the primary is in his early 20s, fresh from the Dean campaign. My field organizer is 21, a Hampshire College student," he said. "Young people are having a major impact on my campaign. They helped me win the Democratic primary and will help me in the general election."
The people who organized the event were thrilled with the result. "I think it's great that we have so many people here tonight," said Russell Kornblith '06, co-president of the College Democrats.
For Raj Borsellino '08, who helped sell tickets, the Gala was a good way for students to become active at the end of the campaign. "[The Gala was a] fun way to send Dubya back to Crawford," he said.