8 July 2009 5:01 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Los Angeles' mayor has called upon Michael Jackson fans help pay for the mammoth memorial service the city hosted on Tuesday.
Thousands of the Thriller legend's friends and fans flocked to L.A.'s Staples Center to remember the star who died suddenly of a cardiac arrest on 25 June.
Despite dozens of superstars offering to perform for free, the scale of the service meant most of Los Angeles had to be closed down in order to accommodate the legions of fans who flocked to join in the mourning.
The Lapd deployed 3,200 officers on the streets to ensure the safety of the 700,000 people who gathered around the city - more cops than were used at the 1984 Olympic games.
Officials also had to pay for a Swat team to join the motorcade that escorted Jackson's body to the Center.
The event was slated to cost more than $3.5 million (£2.3 million) and ate away at most of L.A.'s 'extraordinary event' budget.
And to recoup some of the money used on the memorial, L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has called on Jackson devotees to pay a donation to the state.
He wrote on his Twitter.com page, "Help the city of Angels provide the extraordinary public safety resources required to give Michael the safe, orderly and respectful memorial he deserves.
"If you're a Michael fan, consider giving a small donation to help us celebrate his extraordinary life and music."
Councilwoman Jan Perry insisted fans were keen to get involved, claiming she had already been inundated with email offers.
She says, "I've received emails that are really kind of touching because they're obviously coming from fans. They're very sweet, saying things like, 'I can give $10, $25 and I can organise my friends'."
An online PayPal account has been set up for fans to donate towards the memorial service, with officials insisting all payments are tax-deductible. »
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