Rain Can't Dampen
White House Tradition
By HOPE YEN, AP from
washingtonpost.com on the Web, April 17, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of
children, including some brought by gay and lesbian parents, braved chilly rain
at the South Lawn of the White House Monday to roll colored eggs across soggy
grass as part of an event dating to the 19th century.
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(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds) (Ron Edmonds - AP)
Visitors
stand on the South Lawn at the White House for the annual White
House Easter Egg Roll, Monday, April 17, 2006, in Washington. |
About 16,000 tickets were distributed
for the day-long event, and about a hundred gay and lesbian parents lined up for
the passes handed out on a first-come-first-served basis.
The gay and lesbian couples, who wore rainbow-colored leis, said they wanted to
give their children an opportunity to have fun while making a political
statement that they should be welcome.
"We just wanted to come out to be visible and present and to let people see we
are families, too," said Alisa Surkis, 42, of Brooklyn, N.Y., as
3-year-old-daughter Ella clamored for her partner, Colleen Gillespie, to take
her over to see the Easter Bunny.
The Family Pride Coalition and other organizers said they wanted to use this
year's event to raise the profile of gay and lesbian couples, a move that drew
the protest of conservative groups who said they were trying to "crash" an
event.
Several gay couples said Monday they had encountered no problems once they had
obtained tickets.
"For me, I would never have thought of coming on our own," said Kevin
Patton-hock, 46, of Boston, who attended with his partner Arthur and their two
kids, 6-year-old Mao and 5-year-old Chet.
"Like any parent, you want to protect your kids from the icky places,"
Patton-hock said. "I know there are some parents who will have some issues
with us."
Bundled in raincoats, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush kicked off this
year's egg roll before a cheering crowd. The president blew the whistle to
start the race, a scramble in which children use big spoons to push the eggs.
"Welcome to this happiest of traditions at the White House," Laura Bush told the
crowd. "In Washington, we know that spring has arrived when the White
House lawn is filled with children for the Easter Egg Hunt."
The Bushes posed for pictures with families at the event, which was closed off
to the public in the early morning hours. Attending at the event's start
were White House staff, youth volunteer groups, kids from the Gulf Coast region
and other invited guests.
Thousands of eggs were dyed in pastel colors for the egg roll races, as well as
for an egg hunt. Other eggs were available for children to color, as
people dressed up as characters including the Easter Bunny strolled around the
South Lawn.
The White House egg roll has been a tradition since the mid-19th century.
The celebration took place on the Capitol grounds until 1878, when it was moved
to the White House by Lucy Hayes, wife of President Rutherford Hayes.
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