When the Presidential Inaugural Committee put out the call to the nations' marching bands for the Jan. 20th ceremony, Bill Powers of the Bonnie Brae Residential School for troubled boys in Somerset County, NJ took a chance.

His application was a long shot.

The 12-member Knights Drum Corps had no director, no uniforms, no funds and not enough drumsticks to go around. The audition tape showed members playing their hearts out on some thunderous African beats an instructor once taught them, songs without names.

"I had some hope -- because we are so unique and because of Obama's campaign theme of hope and change -- that maybe there was a chance we could sit under that umbrella," he said.

Parade organizers, looking beyond the group's lack of formal hardware and training, snapped them up.

The Bonnie Brae Knights were among 49 groups selected nationwide to march after the swearing-in ceremony, chosen from a pool of a record 1,400 applications, up from the usual 300 to 400.

It’s an unbelievable, unlikely, undreamed-of honor for the 14 boys who will be marching in the inaugural parade. The Bonnie Brae Residential School is a rural campus housing 98 boys ages 8 to 18 who cannot live in the community at large because of what the state calls “psychiatric and behavioral challenges.” Nearly 80 percent were abused, neglected or abandoned, and failed to adjust to traditional foster care. Fifteen percent do not have homes in the traditional sense and are wards of the state. Some ended up at Bonnie Brae because they got in trouble with the law. They stay an average of 16 months.

Of course, after the excitement of being selected for the inaugural parade wore off, the realization came that they needed to get uniforms as soon as possible. After asking around in New Jersey and hearing FJM's name come up time after time, Powers decided to contact The Image Makers concerning the performance wear for the Knights.

"Marlene Miller and the folks at FJM have really come through for us." Powers said. "We now have beautiful new uniforms, and our kids are very excited to show them off."

The Knights have been practicing every school day afternoon and three evenings a week. Two child care counselors were always on hand, to enforce discipline and master the same three beats the boys had to learn — a modified version of Brother Will’s African beat, a military-type beat, and a beat with a pop sound.

The boys will cover three miles on foot. First, they will walk a mile and a half, carrying their drums. Then they will march the same distance, drumming. Mr. Powers and Mike Flaherty, one of the counselors who has guided the boys through the last five weeks, will be at their side.

Like the boys, Mr. Flaherty, is excited. And worried.

“My fear is that one or maybe two of my kids won’t be able to make it, and will quit,” he said. “I’m also concerned about the weight of the drums and the weather. I don’t want them to be uncomfortable. This should be one of the most memorable moments of their lives.

“I’m going to tell them: ‘If you make a mistake, don’t worry. Keep marching.’ We may not be the best musicians, but we’ll be the best musicians we can be that day, for our president.”

Watch this story about the Bonnie Brae Knights from the CBS nightly news:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4722766n%3fsource=search_video