Cue Parachutes for Bush 41

By Matthew Cooper Sunday, Apr. 04, 2004
    • Former president George H.W. Bush will turn 80 in June, and gifts are definitely requested. Tickets to the bash, billed as 41@80, will cost from $5,000 to $1 million. The invitation explains that a chunk of the proceeds from the two-day extravaganza — to be held in Houston and College Station, Texas — will go to the Bush Presidential Library. The remainder will be donated to a cancer center at the University of Texas and to the Points of Light Foundation, which takes its name from Bush 41's program promoting volunteerism. The highlight of the event: a parachute jump by the former President, who performed a similar stunt when he turned 75.

    Guests will be entertained in more traditional ways as well. Country stars Lee Greenwood, Wynonna and Randy Travis are scheduled to sing, as are Christian crossover artists Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Baseball stars Roger Clemens and Gary Carter will also attend. The invitation claims that the fair-market value of a ticket is $10,700, but you get added value for pitching in $1 million, including four invitations to a dinner where Bush and his wife will be hosts, two invitations to a celebrity golf event, entree to a private VIP reception and a luxury train trip to the presidential library for viewing the parachute jump. Will Bush 43 make his dad's birthday? The White House isn't saying, but the much frequented presidential ranch in Crawford, Texas, is just 100 miles down the road.