Michelle Obama
GIANT HELP:Victor Cruz will host NY bowling party at Chelsea Piers with first lady. (
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WASHINGTON — Giants star wide receiver Victor Cruz, one of the best at hauling in Hail Mary passes, is using his celebrity to help President Obama haul in fund-raising cash.
Cruz, who became an icon of Big Blue’s amazing journey to the Super Bowl title with his clutch plays and celebratory salsa moves in the end zone, will co-host “Family Game Night” with First Lady Michelle Obama at Chelsea Piers on March 19 to aid the campaign.
In a break from the typical fund-raising routine — where attendees get a good meal but mostly wait around for Obama or another headliner to show up — guests can bowl at the 40 lanes on site.
Tickets start at $150 per person — then go to $250 per bowling guest, a price that includes bowling shoes. Tickets go for $5,000 per VIP guest, which includes a photo reception and shoes for up to five.
The event will be co-hosted by NFL defensive end Wale Ogunleye, who was born in Brooklyn and was a star player at Tottenville HS on Staten Island.
After the bowling party, the first lady will attend a $5,000-a-plate fund-raiser with Robert De Niro and his wife, Grace Hightower, at the Italian restaurant Locanda Verde in TriBeCa.
Obama offered high praise for the Giants in an interview with sports columnist Bill Simmons at the White House this month.
“Every once in a while something happens during the playoffs that shows the character of a team,” Obama said.
“Look at the Giants this year. Nobody would have picked them. They wouldn’t have been crowned as champions if you had a coaches’ poll at the end of the year. But they made the plays when it counted,” the president added.
After using celebrity support to great effect in 2008, Obama is increasingly deploying pro sports stars to boost his bottom line.
Earlier this year, Obama held a fund-raiser at the Florida home of Dallas Mavericks NBA star Vince Carter.
So far, Republican Mitt Romney has been the chief beneficiary of New York football cash. Jets owner Woody Johnson is one of his top fund-raisers.