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Tuesday, December 16, 2008 | 11:52 AM

Help Send the Ballou Marching Band to the Rose Bowl!

Last year, Ellen told you about the Ballou Senior High School Marching Band from Washington, D.C. The band has been part of a struggling inner city school that had a 50% dropout rate. After appearing on the show, the band was invited to The White House for a screening of a documentary about their program.

They have now been invited to perform at The Rose Bowl, but need to raise funds to pay for the trip! Watch this video to see a brief history of the marching band and then click here to donate to help make their dream become a reality!

next: Who's That with Ellen?

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Posted by wocvjbpm vjuhcgq | December 24, 2008 4:46 AM

Ellen: I am happy to make a donation to the Ballou Marching Band to help with the costs of traveling to the Rose Bowl. These children are wonderful and should be so proud of themselves!
Thank you for bringing this story to us. I will be watching for them on Jan 1st...

Posted by Diane | December 20, 2008 6:37 AM

Thank you Ellen, I grew up in Washington, DC and know that area of SE too well. Ballou gets a bad rep but there are many excellent students at Ballou that deserve so much better. Thank you for helping!!!

Posted by Jennifer | December 19, 2008 3:34 PM

Ellen,
I love what you do for our community! When I saw this story this week, it broke my heart but it was also very inspiring. I love that these kids have such a positive outlook on life. Thanks to Old Navy and your show for allowing us to be part of something great.

Keep us laughing
Lluvia
Parker, CO

Posted by Lluvia | December 19, 2008 7:58 AM

Any time I can do a little something to save a teenager, I try. My son is a tuba player and I know how much band meant to him in high school and college. Looking forward to seeing the band in the parade. GO TUBA's

Posted by Yvette | December 18, 2008 12:54 PM

Hi Ellen,

Thanks for being such a contribution and such a joy. You add light to the world each and every day! Was wondering how can we get an update of the Ballou fundraising and how close they are to their goal of $60K. I made a contribution and am taking my teen to Old Navy today to shop for clothes. Thanks for pointing out programs that work and the dedicated people behind them. Go Ballou!

Best,
Susan L.

Posted by Susan | December 18, 2008 12:27 PM

Greetings to you Ellen.
Although my Christmas budget is BUSTED I found just a little bit more to donate to the Ballou Marching Band. They are such an inspiring story. I can hardly wait to see them marching down Colorado Blvd in the Rose Parade. Their hearts will be filled with pride and joy. Thank you Ellen for introducing them to us.

Posted by Susan | December 18, 2008 12:17 PM

Ellen, I just love your show and the things you do for others. I am from the DC area and Ballou was our rival...I attended Anacostia High School and i must say that what you did for them is great......you should come on over to Ballou and do a show at the school or something and dance to there music.....Thanks to you and Old Navy.....

Posted by Tina | December 18, 2008 8:02 AM

Hi Ellen,

Love your show and your beautiful spirit! You are such an encouragement to so many and I thank you for all you do. Thanks for the update on these young people and the opportunity to help also.

Posted by Rebecca | December 17, 2008 8:02 AM

omg!!!!! Ellen,i luv u for many of reasons. tho...it's u as a loving person i admire the most. i watch u every morning. and by the way your show is fab-u-lous! i personally would luv to have my drill team perform for u. i founded my award winning drill team six yrs ago. and i must say they are the most talented group of kids here in Memphis ,Tn. me and my mother put our hearts,mind,body & soul into these kids... well actually my mom invested have of her retirement money to my team. which God knows i am so thankful of her. plse check out our u tube videos. type in (mmdt) b.k.a. Millennium Maddness drill team drum squad. we also need a sponsor for our invite to a drill competition in LasVegas. august 3,2009. but my wish is for us to perform for u.... i luv ya!!!!!!! Merry x-mas

Posted by Sunshyne Paschal | December 17, 2008 6:42 AM

I would like an update on Kitty and Gladys. They were a big part of your show and I would like to know how they are. I love your show it's the ONLY thing I watch besides the news. Thank you for being such a warm,caring, human being.

Posted by Marti Burman | December 16, 2008 8:16 PM

Thanks for the wonderful story about the Ballou Marching Band, I remember hearing about them last year. I am happy to donate to their band. Our children have been in a great choir program at their high school, the performing arts are so important, and often the first to be cut by budget crisis'
Thanks Ellen, I watch every day and love you and your show.
--Amy Spero

Posted by Amy spero | December 16, 2008 7:37 PM

It's so great to see how charitable you are, you have inspired me to do the same.

Thanks,
Maddy

Posted by Maddy | December 16, 2008 4:21 PM

Derar Ellen,
My name is Mary Puentes. My fiancee and I have 6 kids and this year has been really rough. Our kids are not going to be able to have a christmas.I work part-time at an elementary school and my fiancee works part-time as a security guard. we have been trying very hard, we had a yard sale to try to gr some gifts but didn't work out. not very many people showed up. I see you show every morning when im nt working. I love you. I see you help every one out.I was only hoping you can help us let our children have a wonderful Christmas cause they really do deserve it. thank you Ellen.

Posted by Mary Puentes | December 16, 2008 4:10 PM

hey ellen!
Im in marching band at JP Taravella high in coral springs florida and I think that what you did for this band is really great I know from personal experience what kind of funding goes into band programs and most of it comes right out of our own pockets. My band is made up of about 190 students. We dedicate our lives to maintaining the integrity of our program. We are known across the globe in places like Rome and London but we have never been so honored as this year when we were accepted to march in the Presidential Inauguration Parade. The reason why I say this is because I see everyday after school (while i do my AP Government homework) what kind of amazing things you do for music; in particular, struggling bands. Every year my band struggles with fundraising and paying off fairshare, however this past month has been especially hard because we have to raise about 150,000 dollors in order to go to the inauguration ($500 per person). Please help us get to the Presidential Inauguration, we really need your help. Visit our site, www.jptmusic.org and see for yourself how deserving we are to go to this prestigous historical event.

Posted by Ali Brin | December 16, 2008 2:51 PM

Ellen,
You make my day, I opened a magazine and there you were in all your beauty advertising for cosmetics. I am so glad that you chose to do those adds, makes for people like the rest of us to believe that it is not make up that makes you beautiful. It comes from without, but most of all It comes from within. You shine like the star you are.
I am disabled and spend a lot of time watching your show daily, plus a few others I follow faithfully. I also read a lot, books and magazines. But you make me laugh and feel good when the show is over, I still have tht great feeling of faith in the world. I so appreciate the young man on the show yesterday with the dogs. What a heart he has, and how we all need to be helping him full fill that dream. No broken and helpless, mistreated pets, he has such a will about him. You are so wonderful to place his cause and promote good animal care on your show. But I know you are a animal lover also. I also love the way you promote young people and their talents,struggles and dreams. It takes someone like you to help them with their talents, someone to help them be recogonized.

Take care girl and keep showing that beautiful face, glowing in all the magazines. It truly makes great coverage for all the things you believe in.
Best Wishes for a wonderful holiday,
Terry

Posted by Terry | December 16, 2008 2:32 PM

Ellen,
Hi
You do the most amazing things for people. This world could use more people like you!!!!! I just wanted to say THANKS in these unsettled times, it is nice to hear good news and stories!!!!!
Love ya,
Kristee Mitchell

Posted by Kristee Mitchell | December 16, 2008 2:11 PM

that's so cool. i was going to be in my school's marching band (drumline) this year but decided not to coz im taking really hard courses, including an AP class. band programs across the country always have the least amount of budget i think, and it costs way too much to pay for all those instruments and still go to competitions.

good luck to the Ballou marchin band!

Posted by Lok (pronounced lock!) | December 16, 2008 1:40 PM

WHAT A WONDERFUL THING..THEY GOT NEW INSTUMENTS AND THEY WILL BE IN THE ROSE BOWL PARADE. GOOD FOR THEM. SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING OF THEMSELVES.

Posted by MARCI | December 16, 2008 1:16 PM

Hi. Watching your show today and was surprised (maybe, not really) that the lyrics to "Deck the Halls" were not correct. It's "Deck the halls with boughs of Holly" (not balls - what in the heck would balls of holly be? Maybe holly made into balls like Christmas decorations?). Certainly better than bowels of holly, that's for sure. What's even funnier is the fact that Ferror LaRouche (or however you spell it) was one of the sponsors/commercials here locally in Orlando. There was a group at a Christmas party singing this very song "Deck the Halls". The lyrics were shown on the t.v. screen, with a piece of gold-wrapped candy bouncing from one word to the other/lyrics . . . "BOUGHS" . . . too funny.

Posted by Margaret | December 16, 2008 1:01 PM

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