They are among the supporters who raised some $40 million to help President George W. Bush celebrate his second inauguration Thursday. Bush carried Florida's 27 electoral votes last Nov. 2 by a comfortable 380,000 vote margin.

``It's going to be interesting to watch, over the next four years, how the administration shows its appreciation for this money,'' said Alex Knott of the nonpartisan research group Center for Public Integrity.

Raising money is nothing new to Florida Republicans, who came up with nearly $17 million for the president's 2004 re-election campaign.

The federal government and District of Columbia are picking up the tab for security and some other expenses. But the Presidential Inaugural Committee is raising the extra $40 million to put on nine balls, a parade, concerts, fireworks and other events.

As of Friday, Florida donors had put up about $1.2 million, according to the inaugural committee, including $100,000 from developer and longtime Bush fund-raiser Al Hoffman, the Fort Myers chairman of the inaugural committee's finance committee.

Banking giant Wachovia Corp. was a top donor with $250,000.

A $250,000 donation buys an ``underwriter package'' that includes tickets to almost all inaugural events and a special luncheon with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Contributions of $100,000 buy a ``sponsor package'' that comes with tickets to balls, dinners, the swearing-in ceremony and parade.

``It's fascinating how (the Republican Party) thinks of new ways to get you to give,'' said Al Cardenas, a former Florida Republican chairman and now a Tallahassee lobbyist. He said his law firm has given $25,000 to the inaugural committee

The $100,000 donors also include Daytona Beach developer Mori Hosseini's Intervest Construction Inc.; BlueCross BlueShield of Florida; developer Ned Siegel of Boca Raton; insurance-company executive Thomas Petway III of Jacksonville; and health-maintenance organization WellCare Health Plans Inc. of Tampa.

WellCare runs government- sponsored HMOs in six states, including Florida. It was at the forefront last year of a move in the Florida Legislature to steer more low-income mental- health patients into managed care, a move that could have meant millions of dollars for WellCare.

The measure was ultimately vetoed by the president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is leading Florida's delegation to the week's activities.

The next generation of Bushes also will make high- profile appearances. The governor's eldest son, George P., along with Emilio Estefan, will headline a gala sponsored by the Cuban American National Foundation to fete congressional Hispanics, including Miami's U.S. Reps. Lincoln and Mario DDiaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.