When it comes to an evening out, there are parties—and then there's the occasional, say, presidential inaugural ball.

For Raiatea Helm the invitation to perform at the Hawaii State Society inaugural ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 means she has to dress up in something particularly special.

“;This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just to be there,”; Helm said. “;I get to sing at the inaugural ball for this wonderful man—and to do it in Washington, D.C., a beautiful place with a lot of history, it's part of what makes this so great. It's a huge honor that won't fully hit me until I get there.”;

Helm has been busy with makeovers that include a fitting for a custom-made gold-toned gown for her performance on the day Barack Obama takes the oath of office. “;It's a handmade Polynesian-styled dress by Mena, a label started by four Samoan sisters (Agnes, Jackie, Gina and Charlene Loheni) that live in New Zealand,”; the young vocalist said.

Only one other copy of the gown exists. Created as a showpiece for the Mena line, it was modeled at New Zealand Fashion Week.

Helm will share the stage with Kohala, the Aunty Genoa Keawe Ohana Ensemble, Eddie Kamae, the Aloha Boys and Walter Keale with Donald Kaulia. The event sold out days after Obama's Nov. 4 victory, with about 1,000 people paying $200 a ticket.

Helm and company will be in Washington from Wednesday to the 22nd. “;The last time I was there was for a high school field trip,”; Helm said. “;Now we'll be staying in the Dupont Circle area, nearby the White House. We'll have time to go sightseeing with the millions of other people who'll be there for the inauguration.”;

Helm and Hawaii State Society officials are hoping that the new president and first lady Michelle Obama will stop by when they make the rounds of the evening's many inaugural balls, and perhaps dance to a song written specially for them.

“;Charles Brotman of Kohala, myself and Walter wrote a song together for the president-elect called 'Hawaii's Gift,'”; Helm said. “;Charles came up with the lyrics and the arrangement, and I'll be singing the bridge part.”; (An oli, or chant, honoring Obama will also be delivered—by Bryce Mendez, a Maui native who interned last year in U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie's office—should Obama attend.)

Part of Helm's enthusiasm for Obama came from meeting him in August at a fundraiser at the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

“;His presence is unbelievable,”; she said. “;He's so different live in person, so articulate and charismatic that you can tell he has so much aloha in him. I couldn't believe how much energy he had that evening. He was shaking hands throughout the night. Hundreds of people wanted to take a photo with him.

“;He's something else: lot of good vibes.”;