WASHINGTON – Fifty-eight Washington state residents have contributed a total of more than $1 million to President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration committee.

And, while many are high-tech executives who donated the maximum $50,000, about half are more ordinary people who gave $500 or less, caught up in the occasion of a new president.

“It’s not just an exciting day, but an exciting time for the country,” said Daniel Curran, 54, of Auburn, who contributed $250 and, along with his wife, has tickets to attend the inaugural ceremony.

Like Curran, Carol Pilz Weisskopf, 58, of Richland, Benton County, hasn’t been particularly active politically. She contributed $1 to the 1968 presidential campaign of Sen. Eugene McCarthy. But Weisskopf said Obama has captured her imagination, and she gave $250 to the inaugural committee.

“I am as hopeful as one can be given the situation,” she said. “There are some tough times to get through, and it won’t be easy. But I am excited.”

The inaugural committee so far has raised $27 million. Officials say it’s on track to reach its goal of $40 million. President George W. Bush raised a similar amount for his second inauguration.

About 2,000 people have donated to the Obama inaugural committee, including almost 400 who have contributed the maximum. The committee has posted its donor list online. It has refused to accept donations from corporations, political action committees, labor unions, lobbyists and foreigners.

The money is used to pay for all official inaugural activities except for the actual swearing-in ceremony Jan. 20. It will cover the cost of such things as the inaugural balls and the 10 jumbo television sets that will be placed on the Mall so that the up to 2 million people expected can watch Obama take the oath of office. Not to mention the thousands of portable toilets.

Those who contribute the maximum amount get tickets to the swearing-in, a ball, access to seating for the inaugural parade and other official events that Obama might attend.

Major donors include actors Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone, Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry; movie directors George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard; financier George Soros; and Lisa Henson, daughter of Muppets creator Jim Henson.

From Washington state, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, each contributed $50,000. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and his wife also each gave $50,000, as did Robert Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks, and glass artist and Tacoma native Dale Chihuly.

“He feels it is an historic event,” said Chihuly’s publicist, Janet Makela, adding that the artist and his wife will attend the inauguration.

Others who contributed the maximum amount aren’t as well-known.

“It’s time for a change, and he’s the one,” said Guy Ruffin, 40, who operates NSO Entertainment in Puyallup and donated $50,000. His wife, Lisa, also contributed $50,000. The couple, along with their 15-, 13- and 7-year-old children, will attend the inauguration.

Ruffin said he’s not all that political, but that Obama seemed to speak directly to him, especially on such topics as outsourcing jobs overseas. He said both his father and his father-in-law were longtime employees of companies that packed up and moved overseas.

“I’m looking forward to the change he will bring to the American people in the next four years, hopefully eight years,” Ruffin said. “A lot of what he says hits home with me.”

Beverly Smaby, 67, a retired college professor who lives in Tacoma, said she’s impressed with Obama’s thoughtfulness, his early opposition to the Iraq war and his refusal to accept PAC money during his campaign. She contributed $250 to his inauguration committee.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Smaby said. “I’m optimistic about the country and the world, and I wanted to contribute.”

Les Blumenthal: 202-383-0008

blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics

WASHINGTON DONORS BY THE NUMBERS

Donors from Washington state to the inauguration committee, listed as of Friday night Average donation Total donations Number of donors giving $500 or less Number giving maximum $50,000 donation Total amount raised nationwide Rank of Washington in number of donors among states and D.C.

John Henrikson, The News Tribune

MORE ONLINE

To see the names of Washington state donors, go to the Political Buzz blog: blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics.