Astounding. Note that the deadline is midnight tomorrow, so if you wanna volunteer you better get on it.
An unprecedented 60,000 people have sent applications to the Presidential Inaugural Committee to volunteer for activities surrounding the swearing-in of Barack Obama -- even if it means simply giving directions or friendly hellos to out-of-towners at airports and Metro stops.
With several days of events, including the Jan. 20 swearing-in, the committee needs 15,000 to 18,000 volunteers, officials said. That's three times as many as were called upon for the inaugurations of George W. Bush.
Committee spokesman Kevin Griffis said: "There's a hunger out there. People want to get involved. People want to be a part of this thing . . . a part of history."
Officials have thinned the applicant pool to about 27,000, said Tripp Wellde, the committee's director of volunteers. They've been screening the offers via questionnaires that focus on availability and capability. But the applications keep coming in through the committee's Web site, with a deadline set for 11:59 p.m. tomorrow.
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