Words can not express how proud I am! I miss this family and I had a wonderful experience when I was a member of the Mighty Knights Marching Band (1997-99)!!! Keep it up and I hope to visit you all soon!!! Thanks to you Ellen for making their dreams come true!!!

So proud to be a "Knight" ( class of 1984 ) ! Congratulations to Ballou SHS. You have come a long way. I marched on the drum line in 1982 and we could only dream of what you have accomplished ! Go Knights ! !

I graduated from Ballou, 1971 and lived at Miss. Ave. and Wayne Pl. S.E.
GOD BLESS ALL INVOLVED for making such a Large Positive Impact to expose our neighborhood youth to opportunities and things outside of what some of us only see daily in our immediate vicinity.

George

Good performance i knew u and the Knights would do us proud if u cant remember this is Gracies brother i sent u a couple of notes through the year welcoming you and your band to the elite three only three school in the DC area have been invited to a major bowl your self Cardoza, and my former school HD Woodson thats right yall i'm a warrior but i support my brother to the end good looking keep up the good work the city should be proud you are keeping the marching band alive in DC all we need now is a real safety patrol parade like when we were in high school hit me up if there's anything me or the brothers of music can do peace Stacey class of 1985 H>D>WOODSON, Uba Phi Tuba of the Striders Band UDC

I am so proud to be a Ballou Knight (1984 grad). I wish all of the Ballou Knights a prosperous and blessed life!

I am a native of Washington DC but have lived in California for 10 years and I was at the Rose Parade when I couldnt beleive my eyes. Although I didnt attend Ballou we were rival schools. I was SHOCKED when I saw the band marching down the parade route with their heads high and sounding GREAT! They were a crowd pleasure. I was so proud of them. I had no idea they were gonna be here. Ballou High School Marching Band, you represented the District of Columbia and your school!! GREAT JOB TO THE BAND LEADER AND ALL THE PARENTS.

I am a native Washingtonian and I am very familiar with the Ballou HS marching band. While not an alumni of Ballous I have seen them grow into a successful band over the years. I can recall the stories of them not having the proper instruments, uniforms and such. I am proud of the success of this band. Ballou marching band, keep up the good, no great, works that you are doing.

I know you love marching bands and these people are fabulous. Have you heard of the Isisirettes in Des Moines, IA? They marched in most of PEBO's (President Elect Barack Obama) events in and around Des Moines. They were appreciated so much by the campaign they'll march in the inauguration parade! It would be wonderful for you to have the chance to be enchanted by these enthusiastic and talented young people. What soul! Thanks Ellen for your continued and contagious optimism and efforts to help our animal friends. (I'm glad you had a nice time in Bora Bora too) Bless you.

I is great to see those kids having so much fun and it is great that they will be in the Thanksgiving parade. Maybe one day they can march in a Mardi Gras parade someday.

Oh Ellen - you made my day! What a thrill for those kids and their parents. I'm a marching band mom myself and also a former marching band geek! The kids in marching band work so incredibly hard and I really don't think they get the credit they deserve. The band directors deserve a lot of credit too - afterall, how many people do you know that have the patience to sit in a room full of rambunctious teenagers with loud noisey instruments, who don't know their right foot from their left, and teach them to play an instrument, march in step and straight lines, perhaps do a routine and look so sharp and sound great?! I am so fortunate to have 2 kids in band. It has been such a thrill for me to be a part of it all. I have the best summers with my kids. Band geeks are the best kids in the whole wide world! At least that's what my kids tell me. The Ballou High School marching band reminds me so much of our small town Bemidji High School marching band. There is nothing more thrilling than seeing your home town band kids come down the street, let alone on TV! I can only imagine how their parents are feeling. What a thrill. Thank you Ellen for helping these kids! Maybe someday we will see our own Bemidji High School Lumberjack marching band kids in the Rose Parade. I'm sure they'd love the sunny break from our fridgid -15 temperatures with -30 windchills! Thanks so much again Ellen for helping these kids. Your friend, Nancy (A proud marching band mom)

BALLOU MARCHING BAND DOES AGREAT JOB. I HOPE THAT ALL THERE DREAMS COEM TRUE.

I enjoy watching your show. You make me laugh all the time. I watch you anyway but this show was very special to me because my cousin is in the Ballou Marching Band. So I made sure to watch today's show. I really wants to Thank you for all you do not just for the Band but for everyone that you touch. You are a blessing to people. We need more people like you in the world.

The Ballou High School Marching Band is the best! Ellen thank-you for helping them out and Old Navy too. I always support everything you do. Happy New Year! Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing you on TV through the week. I even enjoy watching the reruns when your on vacation! To a wonderful 2009 may we be blessed with happiness, love, and the joy of family, pets, and friends.

Ellen,
What a wonderful thing you did to help the Ballou
High School Marching Band get to the Rose Bowl Parade! It was awesome to see the joy and pride in their faces. It will be a memory of a lifetime for these students. Keep up the joy of giving.