Final preparations are underway at Main Street Arena for a high profile guest Friday afternoon: first lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak at a Women's Vote event.
Mark Brown, the owner of the business, which was once going under, is speaking out. Brown says the Charlottesville Ice Park - now Main Street Arena - has gone through a dramatic transformation since he bought it about a year and a half ago.
Brown says he has invested a chunk of change into the building. His business model was to make it a multi-use facility so it can be profitable year-round.
Brown had been in talks with the Obama campaign for about a week before the venue was picked. Now preparations are underway to get the stage set.
"For us obviously it's a big honor to going from being a bankrupt ice park a year and a half ago to hosting the first lady of the United States. It's really something that everybody here at the building is going to take pride in," he stated.
The Obama campaign says the first lady will use Charlottesville to launch the "It Takes One" program. The campaign urges supporters who have not been engaged in the election to start small and never underestimate the value of their contribution.
About 2,500 people are expected to attend Friday's event and tickets are still available. The doors open to the public at 11 a.m.
Obama Biden Campaign Press Release
First Lady Michelle Obama Launches "It Takes One" Program to Engage New Supporters and Grow Obama for America's Grassroots Organization
CHICAGO – On Friday, July 20, First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Virginia to officially launch "It Takes One," a new Obama for America initiative that aims to enlist every supporter nationwide to help continue building the campaign's grassroots organization between now and November. Announced in a campaign video to campaign supporters this morning, It Takes One emphasizes the impact that every single person can have in this election. Whether it's by registering one new voter or talking to one more neighbor every week, It Takes One urges supporters who haven't yet gotten engaged in the election to start small – and to never underestimate the value of their contribution.
"Every single person can make a difference in this election – and today we're asking supporters to start by taking one action that will help grow our campaign," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "Help one new voter get registered through GottaVote.org, recruit one more volunteer, or bring a friend to the next phone bank you attend. If we all commit to finding at least one way to make an impact, we can ensure that we'll keep moving this country forward for another four years."
Watch the First Lady's message to supporters here: http://www.barackobama.com/one
The First Lady will lead the It Takes One program – a coordinated effort that includes digital, paid media and grassroots organizing components – and will personally take part in It Takes One outreach and grassroots activities, such as building local Neighborhood Teams. Next week, Obama for America organizations in battleground states will launch state-based It Takes One efforts with events designed to engage new volunteers and in their communities.
This ground up approach to organization-building has been a hallmark of the Obama campaign, and the President and First Lady often remind voters about the impact they can have by getting engaged on the community level. By taking it one step further and encouraging supporters to start small, the campaign aims to engage new people and build its organizational reach even further.
The First Lady will officially launch the program during campaign stops in Virginia tomorrow: first, she will deliver remarks at an Obama for America Women Vote 2012 event in Charlottesville, and later, she will speak to grassroots supporters in Fredericksburg. For details or to RSVP, please email FirstLadyPress@barackobama.com and include the event you wish to attend in the subject line.
