July 15, 2016
The volunteers and staff of the Democratic National Convention Committee are receiving tickets to the “Camden Rising” concert featuring Lady Gaga, Lenny Kravitz and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
The July 28 concert on the Camden waterfront will precede Hillary Clinton’s expected acceptance of her party’s presidential nomination by just a few hours.
The event’s co-hosts, George E. Norcross III and Susan McCue, announced Friday the giveaway of more than 7,500 tickets to recognize the work of DNC volunteers and staff.
The 1 p.m. concert will provide a celebration and musical pep rally for thousands of Democratic delegates and invited guests on the last day of the convention.
“The 2016 Democratic National Convention is an amazing opportunity to showcase Philadelphia to the country and the world, and I am extremely happy that the people who have been working so hard behind the scenes to make it a success – the staff and volunteers -- will be recognized for all they have done,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Friday.
John Dougherty, the business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and president of the Philadelphia Building and Trades Council, said the concert is “the hottest ticket on the scene, except for the acceptance speech.”
Dougherty called the Camden concert hoopla “a good day” for the region.
“We’re becoming a regional economy. The Camden waterfront will have Philadelphia as a backdrop. I’m proud to have this in South Jersey. There’s a real partnership between Camden and Philadelphia that is good for the region,” he said.
The organizers are hoping the concert will be attended by Clinton, the former secretary of state, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as well as President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, plus Democratic elected officials and party leaders from across the country.
Donald W. Norcross, who represents Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties in the U.S. House, will attend the concert as a special guest.
“We are happy to be able to invite the staff and volunteers of the Democratic Convention to what we expect to be one of the largest, most exciting events of the convention,” said George Norcross, a member of the Democratic National Committee and chairman of Camden’s Cooper University Healthcare and the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper.
The concert will be a “great chance to show the country Camden’s amazing turnaround,” he added.
The news release noted “rapid and dramatic changes” which have won Camden national attention for its turnaround including coverage in the “New York Times,” CNN, NBC Nightly News, and the “Philadelphia Inquirer.”
During a May 2015 visit to Camden, President Obama remarked, “I’ve come here to Camden to do something that might have been unthinkable just a few years ago – and that’s to hold you up as a symbol of promise for the nation,” the release noted.
"We have seen firsthand and reported on the extraordinary work being done to prepare Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention by the Host Committee, its volunteers and staff," said Lexie Norcross, Executive Director of PhillyVoice.com.
"We are pleased to see their efforts being recognized with an invitation to attend this historic event taking place on the Camden waterfront.”
PhillyVoice.com is the official media partner of “Camden Rising,” and the concert is funded by Convention 2016, an account of General Majority PAC, and supported by labor and business leaders from Philadelphia and New Jersey.
“Camden Rising,” expected to be one of the biggest entertainment events in the history of Democratic conventions, will be hosted and produced by Live Nation at the 23,000-seat BB&T Pavilion in Camden.
Doors open to the show at 11 a.m. with Jazzy Jeff entertaining before the show and during intermission.
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FULL DISCLOSURE: "Camden Rising" is being sponsored by George E. Norcross III, a member of the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Camden’s Cooper University Healthcare and the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, and Susan McCue, the former chief of staff to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and co-founder of Senate Majority PAC, and features special guest Congressman Donald W. Norcross. PhillyVoice.com is the official media sponsor of the event. PhillyVoice.com Executive Director Lexie Norcross is the daughter of George E. Norcross III and niece of Congressman Donald W. Norcross.
