Fremont residents travel to Washington for annual White House Easter Egg Roll

WASHINGTON — The return of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll brought thousands of families and children back to the White House lawn Monday.

Several Fremont families traveled to Washington D.C. and took part in a White House tradition that had been disrupted the past two years by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monica Ramirez, founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women, said she and her son, Emerson Derome, 8, took in a full day of activities.

Ramirez also invited her Fremont friend, Jessica Glovinsky, and Glovinsky's daughter, Georgia, 8, to attend the egg roll.

"It was great. It was a lot of fun to be with the kids," Ramirez said.

Theme of egg roll was 'EGGucation'

This year's events, themed "EGGucation" by first lady Jill Biden, include the egg roll, an egg hunt and a number of performances and educational activities. The White House had estimated roughly 30,000 people, including thousands of military families, would be in attendance.

Ramirez said Sonia Manzano, PBS Kids series creator, children's book author and former Sesame Street character, read to children at the event.

She said her son had been to the White House when he was 2 years old, adding this would be the first time Emerson would be able to remember the visit.

The history of the White House's Easter Monday Egg Roll is storied, dating back to the 19th century.

In 1878, a "group of bold children" lobbied President Rutherford B. Hayes to allow them to play their egg-rolling games on the White House's lawn. Hayes obliged, and thus began the tradition that still exists today.

Even though it was cold in Washington D.C. Monday, Jessica Glovinsky said she, Ramirez and the kids enjoyed the event.

Glovinsky said she lives near the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums and normally attends the Hayes Annual Egg Roll every year.

'An amazing experience' at the White House

"To get to do it at the White House, it was an amazing experience," Glovinsky said.

Glovinsky said the egg roll was divided into five sessions, with different groups of families and children taking part at different times of the day.

She said there were plenty of arts and crafts activities for children, with each child getting a commemorative wooden decorated egg and treats.

Derome said he got to decorate an egg and enjoyed Manzano reading a story to him and other children.

He said he normally would spend Easter in Fremont with his parents and grandparents and enjoy an egg hunt at home.

According to USA TODAY, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted three Easter Egg Rolls before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation, forcing the White House to cancel the event.

In 2020, Trump offered an Easter Blessing and called on the nation to come together in support of first responders, calling the coronavirus an "invisible enemy."

Egg hunt was held virtually in 2021 due to pandemic

The Biden administration held a virtual Easter egg hunt in 2021, as the pandemic continued to rage on into his first year in office. Monday's festivities marked the first event since before the pandemic took hold.

Ramirez said she had lived in the Washington D.C. area before moving back to Fremont.

She said she saw Fremont City Councilman Chris Liebold in Washington Saturday. Liebold had said on Thursday that he planned to take part in the event.

Ramirez called the return trip to Washington and visit to the White House a very meaningful experience.

"It was fun to see it through the eyes of Emerson and Georgia," Ramirez said.

dacarson@gannett.com

419-334-1046

Twitter: @DanielCarson7

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Fremont residents go to Easter Egg Roll on White House lawn