By Michael Saul

If the Dallas Stars win the Stanley Cup, the private sector will cover the full cost of a victory parade and celebration at Reunion Arena, a spokeswoman for the event said Monday.

"We will cover all the costs," said Lisa LeMaster, spokeswoman for the committee planning the possible event.

Last month, the Dallas City Council earmarked $ 116,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for police, security and liability insurance. But Ms. LeMaster said Monday that she is confident the city contribution will not be needed.

The committee has raised $ 225,000, she said. Officials had estimated that the event would cost $ 297,000, but a decision last week to move a post--parade celebration from City Hall Plaza to Reunion Arena should reduce the total cost, Ms. LeMaster said. She said she did not know by how much.

The event inside Reunion Arena would be ticketed and available to the public for free, Ms. LeMaster said. Organizers have not determined how the tickets would be distributed. The tickets are necessary, Ms. LeMaster said, to prevent a stampede on the arena after the parade.

Ms. LeMaster said the committee decided to move the celebration from City Hall Plaza to Reunion for several reasons: "It is going to be safer. It is going to be cheaper. It is going to be more fun. And you're out of the sunshine. It will certainly make it cooler."

City Hall Plaza accommodates about 8,000 people, but the arena has room for at least 17,000, Ms. LeMaster said.

Council member Laura Miller said she fears the move from City Hall Plaza to Reunion Arena is geared toward making more money for the team. At the arena, she said, the team will more easily sell refreshments, T-shirts and other Stars paraphernalia.

"Since they are about to make a whole lot of money in a city-owned facility that they're not going to pay to use, there better not be a penny of taxpayer money spent on the event," Ms. Miller said.

Assistant City Manager Ramon Miguez said he is hopeful the private sector will make good on its promise.

"I don't have the check in my hand, so I can't guarantee it," he said. "But we have a commitment from the steering committee that they intend to pick up the tab."

Council member Lois Finkelman said she has no problem with the post-parade event being at Reunion, provided it's free to the public.

"It sounds as if there's some decent rationale for doing it there as long as the city isn't picking up any extra costs and as long as the citizens are not going to pay to participate," she said.

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