Wills, Kate Bringing Royal Fever Stateside

The exclusive Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is catching a case of royal fever —they are hosting an upcoming charity event to be attended by none other than Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, and it has members very excited. The fundraiser will be one of the highlights of the first official overseas trip by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which kicks off tomorrow in Canada and takes them later to southern California. William plans to play in the match, and his wife will award the trophy to the winning team. So far, about 1,000 VIP tickets have been sold, along with about 400 general admission passes, raising nearly $4.4 million for the July 9 charity event—a response the club chairman hasn't seen in 38 years.

In Canada, William and Kate will join in raucous Canada Day celebrations, open the Calgary Stampede, and go canoeing in the vast northwest territories. They will meet veterans and their families, as well as youth groups in several parts of the country. William plans to demonstrate his skills as a helicopter rescue pilot by taking part in a water landing demonstration, and the couple also plan to take part in a cooking workshop in Quebec City. (More Prince William Kate Middleton stories.)