Some people are getting good news while others will have to wait to find out if they will get a ticket to see Barack Obama sworn in as America's 44th president in two weeks.

The flood of more than 1,000 requests from Island residents to each of Hawai'i's two U.S. senators and two congress members is unprecedented for the delegation.

"This is the first time it's ever happened this way," said Jon Yoshimura, spokesman for Sen. Daniel Akaka. "Before, we couldn't give these tickets away."

Each of the four offices is handling their tickets differently.

"It's first-come, first-served," Yoshimura said.

But U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's office already has promised its 365 standing tickets and 26 seated tickets, also on a first-come, first-served basis.

When Inouye's office called the home of Mililani High School sophomore Kelly Stinefelt, "I was excited," said Kelly's mother, Donna Stinefelt. "I told Kelly that it's just like getting the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory."

Indeed.

Federal officials are bracing for an unprecedented crowd — as many as 4 million people — to show up at the National Mall on Jan. 20 to witness Obama take the presidential oath of office. The current record turnout was the 1.2 million people who saw Lyndon Johnson's inauguration in January 1965.

Most of those heading to Washington in January will have to stand on the sidelines and watch gigantic TV screens because only U.S. senators and representatives can issue tickets to the inauguration.

Each representative has 177 standing tickets and 19 seated tickets to disperse and Marvin Buenconsejo, spokesman for Rep. Mazie Hirono, said her office is working to make sure requests are handled fairly.

"We do want to make sure the constituents in the 2nd congressional district are a priority and get a good chance to be a part of this historic moment," Buenconsejo said.

'HIGHLIGHT OF MY VISIT'

Kelsi Watanabe, a 14-year-old freshman at Mililani High School, already received her call from Inouye's office that she, too, will get a ticket to the inauguration after writing a letter to the senator in November.

"To view the swearing-in ceremony is a rare opportunity, and undoubtedly will be the highlight of my visit," Kelsi wrote. "I'm especially looking forward to attending this historic event since Barack Obama was born and attended high school in Hawai'i."

With all of the waiting and security sweeps, Kelsi and Kelly likely will be standing for hours, perhaps in the rain or snow.

They insist they won't mind because their families are telling them that they are getting a historic opportunity.

"I know it's going to be real huge," Kelsi said.

Her mom, Gail Watanabe, added: "We're all living vicariously through her."

Kelsi will be in Washington as part of the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Seminar put on by the Washington Workshops Foundation. Only a handful of the 95 students in the seminar have tickets to the inauguration, said program director Karl Egloff.

"Kelsi was the first one to get a ticket out of all of our participants," Egloff said. "They're pretty rare."

Kelly is part of the much larger Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference that includes more than 7,000 students from across the country.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance," said her mother, Donna. "Especially coming from Hawai'i, we don't get to see anything historic like that."

Donna and her husband, Steve, who teaches physics and ninth-grade science at Pearl City High School, volunteered as precinct workers on Election Day and wanted Kelly to get involved in the electoral process, too, but she was too young.

Now Donna and her other daughter, Shannon, 13, will travel with Kelly to Washington. But only Kelly has a ticket to the inauguration.

"We're still hoping to get tickets," Donna said. "If not, we'll just be camping out along with everybody else."

Tickets to the inauguration are free but have to be picked up in person at congressional offices within a week of the inauguration.

But sending anyone 5,100 miles during a nationwide recession still means a financial sacrifice that families are willing to make for their children, even while facing holiday expenses.

"It's probably going to cost us a couple grand," said Jennifer Tidwell.

Her son, Andrew Tidwell, 14, also will be part of the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Seminar along with Kelsi, his Mililani High freshman classmate. But Andrew has not gotten a ticket to the inauguration.

Even if he only attends the seminar's events, just getting Andrew to Washington will be a financial and logistical challenge.

His father, Jeff, is a fighter pilot with the Hawai'i Air National Guard and has flying privileges as a furloughed pilot with United Airlines. Jeff plans to use his airline privileges to get the two of them as far east as possible and then drive the rest of the way to Washington.

"By any means," Jennifer said, "we'll make sure he makes it there."

The Tidwells are Republicans and voted for Sen. John McCain for president. Still, they want their son to be in Washington for Obama's inauguration.

"You're just in the middle of history happening," said Andrew, who cast his unofficial ballot for McCain during statewide kids' voting. "I think it's great that Obama's going to be president. He's going to be our first African American president."

FAMILY EFFORT

For Kelsi, traveling to Washington by herself is truly a family effort.

Her aunt, Suzy Shimabukuro, a nurse, is paying Kelsi's $1,000 airfare. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for her," Shimabukuro said.

Kelsi's other aunt, Sharyn Nuha, dug out the black-and-gold gown that she wore to her senior prom at Leilehua High School in 1987. Kelsi will wear it to an inaugural ball put on by the seminar's organizers, who will escort Kelsi from the airport to all of the events.

The seminar also will cost $1,700 for her parents, Gail, a computer programmer, and Byron, a computer specialist at the University of Hawai'i.

This year alone, they sent Kelsi to another Washington workshop in March, followed by a school trip to Japan in April. The year before, Kelsi also attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

To make sure she knew about the value of so many trips, Kelsi's Christmas present last year was a 25-pound bag of rice.

This year, her Christmas present is a pair of boots to wear in the Washington snow, which she's already opened.

"When we were kids," Gail said, "I remember two trips to Disneyland and that was it."

But she's happy to do whatever it takes so her daughter sees history unfold before her.

"I don't think she really understands it all right now," Gail said. "But years later, it's going to sink in."