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More than 900 Expected At Mayor Segarra's Inaugural Ball Saturday

By JENNA CARLESSO

January 20, 2012

HARTFORD —— Mayor Pedro Segarra's inaugural ball is sold out, with more than 900 guests attending Saturday's event at the Connecticut Convention Center.

Tickets, priced at $100 each, sold out last week. The ball will be paid for by a combination of ticket sales and corporate sponsorships, said Steve Jewett, the event's chairman and a senior partner at Duby McDowell Communications LLC, which is planning the gathering.

A portion of the corporate contributions will also benefit Hartford Humanities Fund Inc., a charitable organization set up by Segarra. Jewett declined to discuss how much was raised through corporate donations. More than $90,000 was raised in ticket sales.

Corporate sponsors include Northeast Utilities, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, The Hartford, Aetna, Cigna, Trinity College, the Pullman and Comley law firm, JCJ Architecture and the XL Center. Various levels of corporate sponsorship were available, including $10,000, $15,000, and $25,000, said Robyn Gengras, a spokeswoman with Duby McDowell Communications.

The charitable fund will benefit local nonprofit organizations, Jewett said, especially those focused on youth education and the arts. Fund organizers have not selected the groups that will benefit yet, he said.

Jewett also would not discuss how much money was raised for the charitable fund.

"We can't say yet — we're still counting," he said. "We're already hitting our internal benchmarks of where we want to be. We got broad support from the community. Every major institution in Hartford is participating in this event."

Jewett said organizers of the charitable fund — including Segarra, who will be its honorary chairman — would be "very transparent" in the future, but can't release figures now.

"It's going to be a very transparent fund. People will know what has been raised and what's going into it," he said. "We're going to be open."

The event starts at 6 p.m. and a grand procession that includes the mayor will follow at 7:10 p.m.

Segarra will deliver a short speech, organizers said, and dinner will be served at about 7:30 p.m. Musical entertainment and salsa dancing will begin later in the evening.

Musician Nino Segarra — no relation to the mayor — will be the featured entertainment with backup from guitarist Ray Gonzalez. Deejay Michael Musumeci will spin between the live entertainment and a trio from the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will perform.

The Wadsworth Antheneum and Connecticut Science Center will both have exhibits on display.

Invited guests include the nine members of the city council; city Treasurer Adam Cloud; David Panagore, the city's chief operating officer; Jared Kupiec, the mayor's chief of staff; Saundra Kee Borges, the city's corporation counsel; Hartford Fire Chief Edward Casares Jr.; Acting Police Chief Brian Heavren; state Attorney General George Jepsen; state Treasurer Denise Nappier; state Comptroller Kevin Lembo; Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman; U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal; Congressman John Larson; and Congressman Chris Murphy.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy won't attend because he is traveling, Jewett said.

"It's going to be a fun night," he said. "It's the start of a new year, the start of new leadership, and people are excited about the prospect of Segarra's administration. It showed with the type of sold-out event we're having and the overwhelming support we got from the corporate community."

The last Hartford inaugural celebration was held in 2008 when former Mayor Eddie Perez was sworn in for his third term. Tickets were $75 per person, which covered the cost of the party and also served as a donation to Perez's charitable organization, Rising Stars for Hartford.