PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- First Lady Michelle Obama will be coming to Providence on Sept. 30 to raise money for her husband's reelection campaign.

Joseph Paolino Jr., a former Providence mayor and former ambassador to Malta, said Wednesday that the fundraiser will be held at his home, on Orchard Street in Providence's East Side.

Tickets will start at $1,000 and "go all the way up to $30,500," he said.

"It's a true honor to have Michelle Obama," he said.

Paolino said the event was arranged through contacts he and Mark Weiner, former chairman of the state Democratic Party, maintain with the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

"I was with President Obama in Washington on Monday night with about 50 other people from throughout the country," he said. "He said that he was looking forward to her coming here and us showing her good Rhode Island hospitality."

Paolino declined to put a number on the fundraising goal but said organizers hope to raise "hundreds of thousands" of dollars.

The East Side resident is no stranger to famous guests. Past visitors include President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore, who was the wife of former Vice President Al Gore.

And President Obama visited the neighborhood last year for a fundraiser at a house across the street, Paolino said.

Paolino said anyone who is interested in helping with the event can call him at Paolino Properties, a real estate firm in Providence.