Vice President Al Gore '69 will headline one of the final Democratic rallies of the 1996 campaign season at Faneuil Hall today at noon.

Organizers said the rally, which is expected to attract thousands of college students, will give Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) a boost in his close re-election race against Republican Gov. William F. Weld '66.

According to Douglas Hattaway, the communications director for the Massachusetts Clinton-Gore campaign, 500 free tickets were distributed to each of nine college in the Boston area, including Harvard.

According to Harvard-Radcliffe College Democrats President Seth D. Hanlon '98, around 50 College Democrats from Harvard plan to attend.

Hanlon said the club has plenty of extra tickets, and urges interested students to meet at the John Harvard statue at 10:30 a.m.

"It's four days before the election, so it's crucial that we show support for these candidates who care about education and student loans," he said.

College Democrats Vice President Eric S. Olney '98 expressed excitement about the rally.

"Nobody expected the president or the vice president to be in Boston a week before the election," he said.

Other speakers will include U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass.); U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.), chair of the Massachusetts Clinton-Gore campaign; State Representative Joan M. Menard, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party; AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney; and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

Although the rally officially begins at noon, the gates will open at 11 a.m. Organizers expect the rally to last a little more than an hour.