part of the International Ambassadors Foreign Embassy Tour. The cost of the show was $10 per student, made payable to the University Diplomatic Trust Account,[1] and the dates of the show were listed as December 3, 4, and 5, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Excited about the opportunity for their students to attend what the invitation materials described as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to meet 28 foreign ambassadors, view Christmas trees decorated with ornaments from other countries and cultural art exhibits, and receive thousands of dollars' worth of sponsored gifts, teachers from approximately 23 schools filled out registration forms reserving tickets for students ranging from the third to the fifth grade. Over the next couple of months, several teachers telephoned Ellisor to learn more aboutthe details of the show. According to teachers who testified at trial, Ellisor made the show sound even more enticing, promising that there would be Christmas trees and decorations donated by the Christmas Palace (a local business selling Christmas merchandise), "[f]our hundred some lights and characters, like Harry Potter, going around mixing with the kids in the crowd," a hot Christmas lunch, an educational scavenger hunt, and even live reindeer.[2] Some of the parents also became interested in attending after learning that adults could participate in the raffle and win prizes. Having secured the necessary permission from the schools and the parents, the teachers collected $10 per ticket from the students and parents, consolidated the money into checks issued by the schools and made payable to the University