The Ballou High School Band Keeps Marching On!

In October of last year, Ellen interviewed the amazing director of the Ballou High School Marching Band, Darrell Watson. Thanks to Darrell's inspiration, students of this inner city school in Southeast Washington, DC have been given opportunities they might otherwise not have received. It's a rare story of triumph over adversity.

So many exciting things have happened for the Ballou Marching Band since they were last on our show -- we wanted to take a moment to catch you up on all of their amazing adventures!

They have appeared on numerous local radio and TV stations. A Hollywood film based on the life story of Darrell Watson is currently in development. In 2007, “ABC World News with Charlie Gibson” selected Mr. Watson and Majestic Marching Knights to be Persons of the Week. Then they were chosen as their Persons of the Year for 2007!

At the Asymmetrix National High Stepping Marching Band Championship in Greensboro, NC, the band won more awards than ever before, including:

2nd Place in Division II, but won Flags, Dance and Percussion
1st Place in the overall Flag Division 2 years in a row
1st Place in the overall Dance Division
1st Place in the overall Percussion Division

So many incredible things have been happening for them in the DC area, too! In December 2007, the DC City Council presented the band with a ceremonial resolution for their “dedication and sacrifice.” They participated in DC’s 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. The WNBA’s Washington Mystics chose Ballou as their official home game Pep Band! The Mayor of Washington, DC proclaimed June 13, 2008 as Ballou High School Majestic Marching Knights Day. And to top it all off, Ballou has been chosen to represent Washington, DC at the prestigious 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade and the 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

The students themselves have had some remarkable achievements as well! Of 27 seniors who were in the band, 24 of them graduated on June 8th -- including one student who graduated 7th in his class! The other three students are expected to graduate after summer school, and 17 graduating seniors will be attending college this fall! In addition, 9 band members received the Achievers Scholarship Award. The District of Columbia Achievers Program is a partnership of the District of Columbia College Success Foundation (DCCSF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program provides annual scholarships, mentoring support and high-intensity college access services to approximately 250 highly motivated, low income students from six public high schools in Washington, DC.

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A Missed Match Made in Heaven

In February, we introduced you to a couple who reconnected in an extraordinary way. Amy Belastock and Dan Poehling originally met on a flight in June 2007 while waiting in line for the bathroom. They instantly connected and talked for 40 minutes, but Dan never asked for her number. Realizing what a huge mistake he made, Dan’s friends encouraged him to post on the Craigslist “Missed Connections” section. Amy found his post the next day and they reunited! Have you been wondering what happened next?!

The publicity didn’t stop after our show -- Amy and Dan also appeared in the Boston Globe. Amy is still in Boston, but she’s moving to Chicago in two weeks, where they will be living together (for the first time) in a condo they recently purchased! Amy will soon be the principal at a Chicago elementary school. Their friends and family affectionately call them the “Craigslist Couple,” and they will be getting married next month!

Congratulations Amy and Dan! Don’t forget to send us an invitation!

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This City Went on a Diet… and Look at Their Results!

Since Mayor Cornett visited Ellen in January to talk about putting Oklahoma City on a diet, the residents of OKC have continued to lose weight at an impressive pace. As of June 10, the 18,500 people who signed up at www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com lost over 85,000 pounds! And thanks to the national publicity, other cities around the country are working with Mayor Cornett to launch similar initiatives.

Taco Bell then launched a local promotion in Oklahoma City linked with its national Fresco menu of healthier choices. Recognizing that citizens of Oklahoma City were not going to quit fast food cold turkey, Mayor Cornett is encouraging them to make healthier choices. In every Taco Bell in Oklahoma City, a life-sized Mayor Cornett cutout encourages customers to order from the Fresco menu, and invites them to sign up at a web site to help OKC lose one million pounds.

Plus, locally-owned restaurants are getting on board, with OKC's entire Bricktown entertainment district offering the "Mayor's Special," (www.bricktownokc.org) and upscale restaurant Rococo offering a full “Mayor's Healthy Menu.” (www.rococo-restaurant.com) Mayor Cornett will be talking about these successes at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami on June 22.

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Anthony Gargiula Is Raising the Stakes!

Nine-year-old Anthony Gargiula spent his Saturday afternoon performing not one, but two songs at the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. This was by far his biggest crowd to date, with nearly 100,000 people watching from the stands and on the field. This was definitely a summer highlight for Anthony, but there’s more on the way! Anthony will sing the National Anthem this August at a pre-season match-up between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins. He's also looking forward to reconnecting with some of his Idol friends as well -- when he attends an "American Idol" concert this summer.

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The Wedding That Almost Wasn't

Recently, Sarah Beavers and Charles Winder and 11 members of their wedding party were stranded at Los Angeles International Airport when ATA airlines went bankrupt and canceled their flight. They were on their way to Maui and would have had to shell out an additional $2,000 each to make it in time for their wedding.

Ellen teamed up with Travel Wizard and got them tickets -- and they made it just in time! Sarah is a nurse and Charles is a former Marine who works as a youth counselor. They are wonderful people and do great things for people in need, and we didn't hesitate to help out this deserving couple. Congratulations, Sarah and Charles! Here are some great photos of the event!

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Wedgie-Proof Underwear Update!

Here’s an update on kid inventors Justin & Jared Serovich, who invented the Wedgie Proof underwear that so impressed Ellen. After their debut on Ellen, Justin and Jared did segments on CNN, MSNBC, “The Early Show,” and “Fox and Friends.” Then “Inside Edition” and “Think Big!” went to their home to film. So many radio stations wanted interviews, the boys had to schedule one per day. Probably the most thrilling interview was with the BBC, but they also spoke with stations in Australia and New Zealand. The number of worldwide websites that covered the story totals in the thousands. They are applying for a patent for their invention, but at this point don’t have anything else planned.

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Car Jumpin’ with Chris Bryant


Chris Bryant’s dream came true when he jumped a car -- in his very own Nike commercial! Check out his amazing leap on Nike.com! Nike Studio in NYC designed an official Car Jumper Nike that was sold on the Nike site.

Nike wowed Chris by jumping in with a $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice! On April 26, Chris will be handing out food and gift cards to families in need. Jump for joy!

Now Chris is going to make a quantum leap – he’s talking to producers about appearing on Sesame Street, and in the Guinness Book of World Records!

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Author! Author!


Remember little Alec Greven from my Valentine’s Day show? He wrote the book “How to Talk to Girls” for a class project. Well, we just flew Alec to New York City for an interview with HarperCollins publishers -- and they are going to publish his book! It will be on sale November 25th, just in time for the holidays! It will be a full picture book with a LOT more "advice" from Alec.

Check out the book blurb from the publisher:

"It can be very hard to get a girl to like you. Sometimes it takes years. Sometimes you have to try everything. Sometimes you get a girl to like you, then she ditches you. Life is hard, get over it!" Sounds like expert guidance from a Ph.D or self-help guru, right? Think again. Eight-year-old Alec Greven turns the tables on matters of the heart with his unique advice on How to Talk to Girls. Based on his sharp observations during recess, class, and his own personal experience, Alec offers tips on everything from overcoming shyness to getting a girl to like you back. Whether you are experiencing your first crush or your fiftieth, Alec will set you straight, no matter how lucky -- or unlucky -- in love you are. You’ll never look at boys and girls (or men and women) quite the same way again!”

Congratulations, Alec! We couldn’t be more proud of you! And Happy Birthday! (Alec just turned 9!)

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11-Year-Old Jack Davis' Bill to Help the Homeless is about to Be Signed into Law!


Jack’s Bill, officially titled the "Jack Davis Florida Lending a Helping Hand Bill," which will allow restaurants to give their unused food to the homeless, just passed in the Florida House of Representatives. The next step is for the governor to sign it into law, which should happen in the next few weeks. Once the bill is signed, it should take effect July 1, 2008.

Jack went to Tallahassee and did a lot of lobbying for his bill. While there, Jack was fortunate enough to meet with several legislators and attend several sessions and committee meetings, but the highlight of his trip was a 20-minute meeting with the Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist. The governor had Jack sit in his chair, which Jack told him was "almost" as comfortable as the "Ellen chair.” The governor then promised he would sign Jack’s Bill into law if it reached his desk!

We’ll keep you updated, of course, to let you know how everything turned out, and to find out what great deeds Jack Davis will be pursuing next!

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Emily Bear Goes to The White House!


Emily Bear, our favorite 6-year-old piano prodigy, has been making quite a tour after appearing on Ellen. Emily performed for a private Easter brunch held at the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll. She performed three songs for an audience of 300 people. Emily had a great time and received wooden Easter Eggs signed by the First Lady! And after many requests, Emily is gearing up for her second CD, available soon on her website.

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