Obama Contest to Offer Prized Tickets to Inauguration

Inauguration tickets may have vanished from congressmen's offices long ago, but the Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced that supporters have another chance to make it to Washington to see Barack Obama's swearing-in—if they're both lucky and eloquent.

In an E-mail to supporters, the PIC announced that it will send 10 people and one guest each to Washington, put them up in a hotel, and get them into the ceremony. The winners will be picked between now and midnight on January 8.

There's just one hitch: Contestants have to write an essay answering the question "What does this inauguration mean to you?" Winners are to be selected based on the "strength of their essay."

Officially, contestants are supposed to make a donation of $5 or more to the committee. That's important, the PIC says, because Obama isn't funding this inauguration with money from lobbyists or corporations, "unlike past inaugurations."

But all isn't lost for those reeling from the recession. The fine print says that there's no purchase necessary, meaning supporters can still enter the contest without a contribution.

• See a map of the inaugural festivities.
• Read about the inaugural events.
• Read about the number of people expected in Washington for the inauguration.
• Read about the history of inaugurations.
• Read tourist tips for Washington, D.C.
• Take a quiz on inaugural trivia.