Eggs roll at White House event
Children participate in the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll. (April 25, 2011) Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of kids and their parents swarmed the White House grounds yesterday for the annual rolling of Easter eggs across the South Lawn, complete with games, storytelling and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
"I hope everybody is having a great time here," President Barack Obama said in kicking off the event. He was joined by his wife, Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha, and mother-in-law Marian Robinson.
The first lady said it was "pretty amazing" that a record 30,000 people planned to attend. All 50 states and Washington, D.C., were represented, according to the White House.
"We are so excited about this year's Easter egg roll," she said. "The theme is 'Get Up and Go!' because, as you know, I'm a big proponent of . . . making sure we're moving and eating healthy and this Easter egg roll reflects all of that."
She urged participants to enjoy all the available activities, including story time, obstacle courses, yoga, dancing, tennis and basketball with professional athletes and, of course, the traditional rolling of pastel-colored hard-boiled eggs across the plush South Lawn.
After the egg roll, the first family moved to a story time area where Sasha and Malia took turns reading "Where the Wild Things Are," followed by Obama and the first lady reading "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" as her mother and the family dog, Bo, looked on.
Obama spent a few minutes at the basketball and tennis courts. Cheered on by youngsters and former NBA star Darryl Dawkins and current Washington Wizard Nick Young, the president took a pass from Alana Beard of the WNBA Mystics, dribbled through cones, did a behind-the-back dribble and tossed in a layup.
Michelle Obama visited the Kid's Kitchen for a healthy-cooking demonstration by celebrity chef Jacques Pépin, along with TV personalities Al Roker and Kelly Ripa. "You can eat good food and it tastes good," she said.She also shared her love of fresh produce, as youngsters munched on apples and pears.
The Easter egg roll dates to 1878 and President Rutherford B. Hayes.
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