For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
April 12, 2004
White House 2004 Easter Egg Roll : Frequently Asked Questions
April 12, 2003
White House 2004 Easter Egg Roll
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How long has this event been a White House tradition?
A. President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House
grounds to local children for egg rolling on Easter Monday in
1878. Successive Presidents continued the tradition, and the event has
been held on the South Lawn ever since. The event has been canceled or
moved on occasion only due to poor weather conditions and during
World War I and World War II.
Q. Is this event open to the public?
A. Tickets to this
year's Annual White House Easter Egg Roll were
distributed to the public on Saturday, April 10th as well as the
morning of the event on April 12th. This year, Mrs. Bush has
extended a special invitation through the National Childhood Cancer
Foundation to childhood cancer patients and their families.
Q. How many people will attend the event?
A. Attendance at this year's Easter Egg Roll is expected to be between 15-16,000.
Q. What kinds of activities will guests participate in?
A. Easter Egg Roll activities begin on the Ellipse with food and
entertainment. On the White House South Lawn, children ages 8 or younger can take part in the egg roll. Children of all ages can
enjoy the reading corners, egg coloring, art activities, face
painting, music and several stage shows and characters from
children's educational programming. Strolling characters will
greet children as they roam the South Lawn. At the reading corners,
visitors will be treated to storytelling by authors, such as Laura
Numeroff author of Give a Pig a Pancake, Cabinet members and other
senior administration officials. In conjunction with the
President's Council on Physical Fitness, Denise Austin and several members of the Washington Redskins will host the Easter Egg Roll Fitness Trail.
Q. Who dyes the eggs? How many are dyed?
A. Approximately
7,200 real eggs were decorated by the American Egg
Board for the annual tradition. An additional 3,960 were boiled
and will be colored by children during the Easter Egg Roll.
Q. Who designed the art for the commemorative egg? A.
Mary Bunning, wife of Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky, designed this
year's commemorative wooden egg as well as the egg roll poster.
Her work has been displayed in private shows on a number of occasions,
and her paintings have been featured on the program covers for the
First Lady's Luncheon and the Congressional Club Cookbook.
Q. What will Children receive upon departure from the
Easter Egg Roll?
A. A commemorative White House wooden Easter egg An activity and
coloring book A White House bookmark A children's book Easter Egg
Roll poster Piece of Easter candy
Q. Who are the guest readers?
A. Secretary of Education Rod Paige Secretary of Commerce Don Evans
Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman Secretary of Transportation
Norman Mineta Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso
Jackson Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
Q. Which authors are reading on the South Lawn? A.
Barney Saltzberg; Crazy Hair Day Nancy Tafuri; Will You Be My
Friend? Doug Wood; Old Turtle and the Broken Truth Martin
Waddell; Can You Sleep Little Bear? Devin Scillian; Fibblestax
Eric Rohmann; My Friend Rabbit Laura Numeroff; If You Give a Pig a
Pancake? Robin Pulver; Mrs. Toggle's Zipper
Q. Who are the entertainers?
A.
ENTERTAINMENT
Circle of Friends: An American Girls Musical
The voices of girls, past and present, ring strong and true in the
productions The American girls Review and Circle of Friends. Written
by Broadway playwright Gretchen Cryer and composer Nancy Ford, both
shows are inspired by the beloved historical characters and stories of
The American Girls Collection. The American Girl Theater actresses
invite the audience to use its imagination to visit the past and follow
their hearts as they envision the future.
Bear in the Big Blue House
This Jim Henson Muppet is the host of the Emmy Award winning
television that introduces children to a cast of characters who are
continually exploring their environment. Though Bear stands seven feet
tall, he is warm and cuddly like a favorite teddy bear. He is curious
about everything around him and has never lost his natural sense of
wonderment. Bear invites children into his home to play, learn, dance
and sing. He teaches children the values of sharing and helping
through warm-hearted stories.
Phil Baker
Award-winning recording artist and educator takes family audiences
on an interactive musical adventure where children are the stars of the
show - limbo, conga, do the swim, freeze dance. With vibrant rhythms,
beautiful melodies and engaging lyrics, Phil delivers a baker's dozen's
worth of unforgettable songs that nurture imagination and musical
potential.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clowns
The world-famous clowns from the Ringling Brother and Barnum &
Bailey Circus bring laughter and joy to children of all ages. Ringling
Bros. and Barnum & Bailey* is a quintessential American Family
tradition, celebrated across the country on an annual basis. For more
than 132 years, The Greatest Show On Earth* has brought quality, family
entertainment to audiences, producing millions of smiles, waves of
laughter and gasps of awe.
Raggs Kids Club Band
Raggs and his four colorful canine friends, Trilby, Pido, Max, and
Razzles, mix original, award-winning music with popular favorites in a
high-energy interactive show for children. They have performed
throughout the US with recent performances at the Heart of Texas Fair,
the Alabama National Fair, the New York State Fair, and California Kids
Fest. Their CD and video have received the Seal of Approval from the
National Parenting Center and they have been awarded the Children's
Music Web Award for Best Song for Young children.
Animal Planet Presents Dr. Holly Knor and Annemarie Lucas
Dr. Holly Knor, who feels that she was born to care for animals, is
a featured veterinarian on Animal Planet's hit series Emergency Vets.
Whether tending to wounds to animals, diagnosing mysterious ailments,
participating in dramatic rescues, or treating the most common
maladies, the Emergency Vets are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year to met the needs of an unending tide of pet patients at Denver's
Alameda East Hospital.
A Special Investigator for Humane Law Enforcement, Annemarie Lucas
appears on Animal Precinct, the popular Animal Planet series that
allows viewers to accompany agents as they investigate the thousands of
crimes that affect a large population in need of protection that is
often overlooked, the five million animals that live in the America's
biggest metropolis, New York City. Animal Precinct chronicles the
drama, emotion, triumph, and tragedy of these investigators who all
possess a passion to prevent animal cruelty. To do their jobs
effectively, they must combine their investigative skills, compassion,
tact, and street smarts.
Join Dr. Holly Knor and Annemarie Lucas at the Animal Planet stage
to see and visit with a group of most interesting and exotic animals
from all corners of the world.
Pamlico Joe
Pamlico Joe is a family favorite at schools, museums and libraries
all across the country. He travels from the coast of North Carolina to
bring songs with a positive message to thousands of students each
year. His concerts focus on a healthy planet and teamwork. The
audience is invited to sing along, "hand-dance" and laugh with the
cast. Also appearing with Pamlico Joe will be the lovable characters
Cleanwater Flow, Woody Pynes and The Pamlico Kid. Pamlico Joe's latest
CD is titled, "Take A Kid Fishin."
Silly Socks Puppet Theater
Silly Socks puppets deliver humor, suspense, good messages, and
lots of silliness through the use of expressive custom-made puppets.
The Silly Socks Puppet theater has appeared across America and nearby
at the National theater and Wolftrap Center. Brian Foster, the lead
puppeteer for Silly Socks, has been writing and performing original
puppet theater for over a decade.
PBS KIDS
The popular fun-loving purple dinosaur from PBS Kid's TV is the
best friend a child could ever have who happens to be a 6-foot
Tyrannosaurus Rex. And speed along and zoom into action as Mr.
McFeeley the Speedy Delivery Man from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood makes his
deliveries.
Joe Scruggs
Starting in the 1980s, Joe used his folk music background to
compose songs for his wife to play in her kindergarten classroom.
Finding that teachers and students enjoyed his compositions, he
recorded his first album in 1984. It has since been followed by nine
albums and two videos that have won numerous awards including the Cable
Ace Award and many Parent's Choice Awards. Joe travels the country,
aided by Pete Markham, performing his show fondly called the Nanny
Nanny Boo Boo Review.
Barbara Bailey Hutchison
This Grammy Award singer/songwriter has performed for audiences of
adults and children throughout the United States and her voice is also
heard on hundreds of television and radio commercials. Barbara writes
much of the music she performs and has gained critical acclaim for her
work. She has released eight children's albums including Cat In The
Sink, a fun collection of songs for all ages, and Sleepy Time
Lullabies, which won a Grammy Award for Best Album for Children.
Flumpa and Friends LIVE
Featuring Wendy Whitten - 'The Singing Scientist' With the help of
Flumpa, the tree frog and science mascot, Wendy will bring the audience
on an interactive musical science adventure! Everyone will be cheering
on their favorite reptile or amphibian, swimming on the oceans, rockin'
with the planets and hoping like frogs! This multi-award winning group
has performed for over 1,850 events nationwide since 1995 including
schools, zoos, aquariums, festivals and libraries.
Adventures of Zak
A highly entertaining musical production that combines a memorable
score with true words of wisdom and insight for children. It has been
well received by New York City inner city school children as well as
children in Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Wyoming. Recent
performances include those for the National Kidney Foundation for
Pediatric & Youth Programs, the Darien CT Youth Commission Teen Center,
the Madison Square Garden Boys and Girls Club, and the Child and Family
Network Centers in Alexandria, Virginia.
USA YoYo Extravaganza
Arne Dixon and his team use great yo-yoing in action packed,
fun-filled entertaining performances that also carry messages of hope
and encouragement. The USA YoYo Extravaganza has been going strong for
over a decade performing in all 50 states and around the globe before
over one million young people.
Buck Howdy
Buck is a Virginia turkey farmer turned singer. He has been
bringing his special brand of western music to children and playing his
guitar for nearly twenty years in concerts and classrooms. His
recently released CD, Skidaddle, has received favorable reviews from
Parents Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Diego Tribune.
Also performing
Ballet Petite Chadakazam Ralph the Great Wayne Alan Don Ganz
Strolling Entertainers
Dr. Eldoonie Ralph the Great Brigitte Sills Robert Tobias Allen
Cleveland Tim Hannig Eric Henning Richard Humston Laurence Lipman
Miranda Miller Noland Montgomery James Munton Lorenzo the Great Kathryn
Perkins John Carlson Mr. Tricks The Great Zucchini Mikael Manoukian
Strolling Characters
Anne of Green Gables Arthur Berenstain Bears Bookworm Nutbrown Hare
from Guess How Much I Love you Leona from Between the Lions Maisy
Caillou Clifford the Big Red Dog Digit from Cyberchase Ord from Dragon
Tales George Shrinks Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat Elmo from Sesame
Street Piggley Winks from Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks
Zoboomafoo Angelica from Rugrats Blue from Blue's Clues Patchy Panda
Cotton the Bunny Terrence the Turtle Feathers the Duck Beatrix Potter's
Peter Rabbit JoJo and Goliath from: JoJo's Circus Bob and Larry from
VeggieTales Winnie-the-Pooh Babar Beatrix Potter's Petter Rabbit From
Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, and Tweety The
Official White House Easter Rabbit and Mrs. Rabbit The Official White
House Easter Eggs Woodrow the White House Mouse
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