President Donald Trump’s White House is facing a challenge in the run-up to Easter: managing the annual Easter Egg Roll.
“It’s the single most high-profile event that takes place at the White House each year, and the White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on,” Melinda Bates, who organized the roll during President Bill Clinton’s tenure.
“I’m really concerned for the Trump people, because they have failed to fill some really vital posts, and this thing is all hands on deck,” Bates told The New York Times.
Slow hiring in the East Wing and first lady Melania Trump not being on site at the White House could be leading up to a more low-key event than in recent years, according to the Times. No director has been named for the Visitors Office, which usually takes point in managing the event.
The White House did not respond to inquiries for weeks about the event, which in the past has been a major production for the White House.
“Plans for the Easter Egg Roll are well under way, and the White House looks forward to hosting it,” according to Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s communications director.
Forty thousand commemorative wooden eggs were ordered as party favors for the roll. 18,000 will be given away at the event and 22,000 will be for sale, according to Lara Kline, White House Historical Association marketing vice president.
Kline said the number is lower than last year’s 85,000 eggs, because of the “limited manufacturing window for this year’s Easter Egg Roll.”
Wells Wood Turning, the makers of the commemorative eggs, sent a tweet to the president, the first lady, and Ivanka Trump in February because they had not heard from them about the order:
@FLOTUS @realDonaldTrump @POTUS @MELANIATRUMP @IvankaTrump FYI manufacturing deadlines for the Easter eggs are near. Please reach out! pic.twitter.com/D78YqWVPBi
— Wells Wood Turning (@WellsTurning) February 20, 2017
Washington public schools and military families usually get blocks of tickets for the event, but representatives of both told the Times they had not been contacted.
While cast members from “Sesame Street” usually participate at the event, this time only one will appear.
“PBS asked us to participate with them, and we agreed to provide a ‘Sesame Street’ character,” Elizabeth Weinreb Fishman of Sesame Workshop said. She did not specify which character would be there, according to the Times.
“You don’t understand what a beast this thing is to plan until you go and plan your first one,” said Ellie Schafer, who organized Easter Egg Rolls for the Obama administration.
Maryland teacher Natalie Rebetsky is using the Easter Egg Roll as a way to donate to PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts, according to The Washington Post.
Wells Wood Turning also produced Rebetsky’s eggs, 1,000 wooden eggs emblazoned with “Protect Our Children’s Future.” The teacher is donating $10 from each egg sale to the arts. So far she has raised $13,000, the Post reported.
