Mom & Daughter Use Luck to Get to Jackson Memorial

The pair won tickets but had no way to get to tribute until...

By XANA O'NEILL
Updated 8:42 PM CST, Tue, Jul 7, 2009

TWITTER FACEBOOK

AFP/Getty Images

When it comes to long odds, this mother-daughter pair beat it.

A California mom and teen expect to be one of the lucky few to attend Michael Jackson's mega memorial in Los Angeles today after they beat the odds twice -- first winning a pair of coveted tickets from a lottery pool of 1.6 million hopefuls and then finding a way to get to the event 400 miles away. 

"They picked my name, and I got the voucher in my hand but I can't get to the Staples Center," mom Shirley Ford told NBC Bay Area.

"I'll sleep on the steps of the Staples Center. I don't even care about food at this point. I just want to get there."

Bay Area Woman Uses Luck to Get to Jackson Memorial

Bay Area Woman Uses Luck to Get to Jackson Memorial
WATCH

Bay Area Woman Uses Luck to Get to Jackson Memorial

Ford, who lives near San Francisco, had just 24 hours to exchange the voucher for tickets to the King of Pop's tribute in Los Angeles. She turned to Craigslist and posted an ad begging for help. And to her delight, she got much more than a car-pool offer for her and her 16-year-old daughter Ivy.

Hours after she posted the online ad, a stranger bought the mother and daughter round-trip plane tickets to Los Angeles.

"It's Michael Jackson and he's gone," Ford said as she wiped away tears. "And it's like the last chance I can take [my daughter] there and I can go."

First Published: Jul 7, 2009 7:02 AM CST

TWITTER FACEBOOK

  • 0% furious 0
  • 0% sad 0
  • 0% bored 0
  • 0% thrilled 0
  • 0% intrigued 0
  • 0% laughing 0
processing
          No comments have been posted yet.

          You have 2000 characters left

          processing
          So My City

          You are posting in (change)

          550/550 characters

          (jpg, pngs, or gifs allowed)

          (jpg, pngs, or gifs allowed)
          *Tip: You can also post moments via email or Twitter.

          processing

          View Your Moment in

          Posted by | 1 second ago

          Don't Miss

          local_beat

          Nov 21, 2009

          Report Details Sexism at DFR, But Dismisses Most Allegations

          An investigation finds a male employee placed semen in a female co-worker's coffee mug, but dismisses most other allegations by the department's former highest-ranking female civilian.

          Read It

          transit

          Nov 20, 2009

          Give Thanks: Collins Street Bridge to Reopen

          The Collins Street bridge over Interstate 30 in Arlington is reopening in time for the holidays.

          Read It

          local_beat

          4 hours ago

          Ft. Hood Shooter Permanently Paralyzed, Confined Until Court-Martial

          The Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood will be confined until his military trial.

          Read It
          Loading...
          Birthdate:
          You must be at least 13 to sign up.
          Gender:
          invalid

          By clicking the button below, I accept the terms of use and privacy policy

          Already Signed Up? Login Below.

          processing
          Here's what we're posting:

          *Only used for verification. We do not store your password.
          processing