Over the next few days, quite a few members of Congress are using getaways and sports events to stock their re-election accounts.

Two members have booked suites at basketball arenas and two others have planned ski outings. One senator, Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, will be fundraising at the Lady Gaga concert in D.C. tonight, according to the invitation.

Freshman congressman Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., has invited donors to a suite at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for a college basketball game between Villanova and St. Johns on Saturday.

A seat with the former National Hockey League referee costs much more than it would normally. A mid-level suite at the arena can be had for between $3,000 and $3,750, depending on how many people squeeze in. The freshman congressman is requesting that each PAC contributes $1,500 for a spot, while each individual can get in for $750, according to the invitation.

Philadelphia area donors contributed more than $1.5 million, about half of his total fundraising, to his campaign last election, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Rep. Jesse Jackson, R-Ill., will also be holding a basketball fundraiser — watching his hometown Chicago Bulls play the Wizards at the Verizon Center on Monday, according to the invitation. Jackson is charging $1,500 for a ticket.

Meanwhile, congressman Ron Kind, D-Wis., will be joined by donors for a ski and spa retreat in Park City, Utah, according to the invitation, which highlights his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and as a leader of the Democrats’ Blue Dog Coalition. The donation ($2,500 for individuals, $5,000 for PACs) goes towards Kind’s leadership PAC.

Jackson Hole, Wyo., a popular ski retreat, also appears to be the site of a congressional fundraiser this weekend, with the fourth annual “Winter Snow Fling” for Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. PACs can become “primary ski pass” sponsors for $5,000, according to the invitation.

The snow is flying out west, where several lawmakers plan this week to fundraise while skiing:

• Rep. Ed Whitfield, Republican of Kentucky, will be welcoming donors to Vail on January 7-8; cost is $2,500 per PAC.
• Also in Vail on January 8 will be Democrat Rep. Diana Degette, for her annual fundraising event there. (Here’s last year’s invite.) She’s asking $5,000 per PAC, $2,400 per individual donor.
• In Park City, Utah this weekend is Republican Sen. Bob Bennett, who also hosts an annual ski fundraising event. He wants $5,000 for a “PAC sponsor,” $3,000 for a PAC, and $2,000 for an individual.

If an email could shout, the one I received this morning from a vacation lodging company would do it. “The snow is falling! Aspen/Snowmass has already received 2 feet of snow and more is on the way.” Yes, this is the time of year when we Denverites start to fantasize about how much snow is falling where and how we can manage to dodge traffic on I-70 to get to the mountains and start skiing on it.

And according to our Party Time database, at least five lawmakers have dreams of white fluffy stuff too–although to attend you or your PAC would have to chip in anywhere from $2,300 to $5,000 attend.

Here in Colorado, my own representative Colorado Democrat Rep. Diana Degette is planning a Vail ski weekend from Jan. 2 through Jan. 5.  The following week, Jan. 8 -11, Rep. Carolyn B Maloney (D-NY) is also planning a Vail get away. The same weekend, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) is planning to ski in nearby Beaver Creek in an event to benefit his leadership PAC, First State PAC.

Not that everybody skis in Colorado. Over in Idaho there are some big hills too. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) is planning his annual ski fest in Sun Valley for February 6 – 8. And then there’s of course Alaska. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) plans to celebrate the 37th Iditarod with some skiing at the Aleyeska ski resort.

Perhaps there are other skiing fundraising events planned that we don’t know about. If you have heard about them, please send the information our way.