"This is a real first in using user-generated content for campaign purposes, but it's not going to be the last," Smith said.

Whitaker will attend today's rally, which is expected to attract several hundred participants willing to try to raise $1,000 for the campaign by calling friends and family members from the event.

Romney, who is scheduled to attend a more traditional fund-raiser in St. George earlier today, will deliver a pep talk at the rally and even make some phone calls. The event comes just prior to Saturday's third-quarter deadline for presidential campaign fund-raising.

"This is no upper-crust fund-raising event," said John Miller, the only Utahn among Romney's top-level finance chairmen and an organizer of today's rally. "This is going to be fun."

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