Monique at the staff ball

The Obama for America Staff Ball capped off the end of a two-year journey for thousands of volunteers who helped elect Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States, but the message the 10,000 people received Wednesday night at the D.C. Armory was that the journey has just begun.

"It's not over," volunteer Monique Flowers said the next morning. "You still go out in the community and you help. You still continue to work and volunteer." A powerful message delivered by a powerful man, who is known to many as "Mr. President," but not to his volunteers.

"We call him Barack," Flowers said. "We don't call Michelle "Mrs. First Lady," we call her Michelle. And they were pleased to call them last night, when the couple, exhausted after attending 10 balls the previous day and many functions Wednesday, made a surprise appearance on the stage.

The high security level at the entrance to the ball was a tip-off, but the secret never got out until Vice President Joseph Biden and his family appeared and then the First Family.

"It all made us fired up all over again," Flowers said. "We were a big family last night."

Monique Flowers, right, daughter of Rev. David and Margie Flowers of Whiteville is still in Washington, attending the Staff Ball, held by President Obama to thank the people who helped in his campaign. Flowers sang in the choir that supported John Mellencamp at the We Are One concert Sunday evening.

Using a cell phone camera, she took this photograph at the ball of her with a friend and sent it to us so we could watch in envy what it's like to be a "D.C. Insider."




V.P. Joseph Biden's sister on stage at the ball.


... and the Vice President himself with his wife, Jill.


David Plouffe, the campaign manager 4 the obama camp!!!