by Glenn Tschimpke
Staff Writer
Jacksonville’s first Super Bowl is three years away, but the first two tickets will be available next month.
Don’t bother camping out because everyone will have an equal shot at getting them. Actually, one’s love of football and the breadth of one’s bank account may provide a slight advantage. On Feb. 8, a Super Bowl package that includes two tickets to the game, accommodations for four nights and invitations to a variety of parties will be auctioned off at the St. Vincent’s Foundation Red Rose Ball.
“The Red Rose Ball falls around the New Orleans game,” said Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee director Michael Weinstein, referring to this year’s Super Bowl. “So it’s kind of a coming-out party marking the three-year countdown to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville.”
The auction will be the first availability of any kind for the 2005 event. Weinstein and the Super Bowl Host Committee decided to experiment to see what kind of local interest there is in the NFL’s biggest game.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “We’ll see what kind of exposure this gets and what kind of excitement it generates.”
The package has no fixed price tag, although tickets to this year’s game run between $400 to $500. The tickets are the only concrete item on the list as the other two offerings are still nebulous. Weinstein would like put the successful bidder on one of the cruise ships that will dock in the St. Johns River for the game. At the very least, it would be in one of downtown’s upscale hotels. The various “super” parties are also up in the air, though Weinstein dropped the names of some posh gatherings such as the NFL commissioner’s party.
“We’re estimating the value to be in excess of $10,000,” said Irene Lazzara, who heads the host committee for the ball.
The Red Rose Ball will be held at the Jacksonville Marriott at Southpoint. Tickets to the black-tie event are available starting from $125 for individuals and group rates from $2,000. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m. with dinner at 8 p.m. The live auction follows dinner. For ticket information, call Jane Arnold at 308-7007.