Today, the nation's egg farmers will delight thousands of children and their parents by providing 13,500 dyed eggs for the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll. A tradition for more than 130 years, the event brings together families to hunt for and race Easter Eggs on the White House Lawn and visit with the Easter Bunny.

In addition to supplying the egg-citing event's most important ingredient - eggs - the American Egg Board's Howard Helmer, the Guinness World Records "World's Fastest Omelet Maker," will demonstrate his legendary 40-second omelet and share tips for easy and healthy breakfast meals. Kids (and parents, too!) can snap their photo in the famous Egg Chair and upload them to the "Wall of Fame" on to join the ranks of other incredible people. The Egg Chair is a fun reminder for kids and parents that the all-natural, high-quality protein in the eggs they love provides them with the energy they need for body and mind.

"This is the 32nd year that the American Egg Board has participated in the Easter Egg Roll, and with the new administration, it promises to be bigger than ever," said Joanne Ivy, president and CEO for the American Egg Board. "The 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll theme of 'Let's go play' works well with the American Egg Board's mission to encourage kids to be as incredible as they can be - maybe even become President - by exercising their minds and bodies and eating healthy."

Incredible, Edible Energy

Incorporating eggs into the diet is an important part of the equation in building energy and nutrition. There are cognitive benefits to eating breakfast, such as improved memory recall time, improved grades and higher test scores(1),(2). Research shows that eating high-quality protein foods for breakfast, like eggs, can help you and your family feel more energized and satisfied throughout the day(3). For 70 calories and an average retail cost of 15 cents apiece(4), eggs are one of the most affordable sources of high-quality protein per serving, making them a great choice for families on a budget.

The Obama Easter Egg Roll

The White House will open the South Lawn from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 13 to more families than ever before. Children ages 10 and under, along with their families, will enjoy sports, cooking classes, live musical performances, storytelling and the legendary Easter Egg Roll.

The tradition of the White House Easter Egg Roll has a long history dating back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling on Easter Monday. Successive Presidents have continued the tradition of inviting children to the White House Lawn for egg rolling and other activities and entertainment.

Incredible People

In early 2009, America's egg producers unveiled "Incredible People," a new integrated advertising campaign in support of the incredible edible egg(TM). The campaign focuses on people with real, unique talents that exhibit extraordinary body and mind skills. These "incredible" people, including Luke Myers and Luci Roberts, are featured in the American Egg Board's TV, print and digital advertising campaign. To coincide with the new advertising campaign, the American Egg Board is also has an "Incredible People" section on its Web site, , which spotlights more real-life incredible stories.

About the American Egg Board (AEB)

AEB is the U.S. egg farmer's link to the consumer in communicating the value of The incredible edible egg(TM) and is funded from a national legislative checkoff on all egg production from companies with greater than 75,000 layers, in the continental United States. The board consists of 18 members and 18 alternates from all regions of the country who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The AEB staff carries out the programs under the board direction. AEB is located in Park Ridge, Ill.

(1) Rampersaud G, et al. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. JADA 200; 105: 743-760.

(2) Murphy JM, et al. The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning: cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in an inner-city school sample. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1998; 152:899-907.

(3) Leidy HJ, et al. Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. BJN, published online September 2, 2008.

(4) United States Agricultural Department, Economic Research Service. Data as of February 20, 2009.

For more information, contact:
Egg News Bureau
312-233-1211