With a theme of “Let's Go, Let's Play, Let's Move,” the 134th annual White House Easter Egg Roll Monday event promoted physical fitness and healthy eating. Activities included a sports court with the Harlem Globetrotters and other activities with former tennis star Michael Chang, N.B.A. players Mitch Richmond and Darryl Dawkins, and Olympians Michelle Kwan and Dominique Dawes. Cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs featured Gina and Pat Neely, Marcus Samuelsson, Bryan Voltaggio, Carla Hall, and newly crowned Top Chef-winner Paul Qui. In a modern touch, first lady Michelle Obama announced many of the special guests on the Let's Move! Twitter feed.
About 35,000 people attended, joining costumed characters like the Easter Bunny, Elmo, and Captain America on the South Lawn for the games, stories, and the traditional egg roll. Some guests used social media to score last-minute tickets to the event. Parents who follow Let's Move on Twitter or Facebook could apply for extra spots and were encouraged to live-tweet the event using the hashtag #EasterEggRoll.
More than 22,000 souvenir eggs were given out. This year the set includes an egg featuring Bo, the Obama family dog.
