Clinton coming to Symphony Hall

By Marcella Bombardieri, Globe Staff

Hillary Clinton is coming to Boston for another fundraiser aimed at the common man, woman or college student.

Traditional fundraisers cost hundreds or thousands of dollars a head, but campaigns are also trying to pump up their number of donors -- and the level of enthusiasm for their candidate -- with so-called "low dollar" events. Barack Obama has been particular good at that, even counting t-shirt sales as donations. Clinton did a low-cost event this summer at the Tabernacle on Martha's Vineyard.

This time, the Clinton campaign is expecting to pack up to 2,800 people into Symphony Hall on Oct. 10, for $20 a ticket, to see Clinton as well as actress Mary Steenburgen and Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe. Cohosts include local student groups that are backing Clinton as well as local politicians and some of the big name donors like Barbara Lee and Elaine Schuster.

"The drive to raise money is off the charts," said Jon Patsavos, Clinton's New England finance director. "But there's also a demand from college students, young professionals and people on a fixed income to open the doors."