WASHINGTON, April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- America's egg farmers announce that they have partnered with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, to support the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll.  

The 2011 Easter Egg Roll, which takes place today on the South Lawn of the White House, is focused on promoting health and wellness with the theme, "Get Up and Go!"  All of the activities encourage children to lead healthy and active lives, which is a central part of the First Lady's 'Let's Move!' initiative, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity.  In addition, official White House Easter Eggs, sold by NPF, are available at easter.nationalparks.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN EGG BOARD (AEB)

This is the 34th time that the American Egg Board has participated in the Easter Egg Roll. Along with providing 14,000 dyed eggs for the roll, America's egg farmers will be encouraging families to "lend a hand" for the hungry by putting their hand-prints on an 8-foot tall giant egg. For every handprint received, America's egg farmers will donate one egg to the nation's largest hunger relief organization, Feeding America. The donation is part of the Good Egg Project, an initiative to teach people about modern egg farming and encourage them to fight hunger in the U.S.

This year there are even more reasons to celebrate the egg. According to new nutrition data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, eggs now have 14 percent less cholesterol (down from 215 mg to 185 mg) and 64 percent more vitamin D.(1) At an average retail cost of 15 cents each(2), eggs are one of the most affordable sources of high-quality protein per serving, making them a great choice for breakfast, especially on big days.

AEB is the U.S. egg farmer's link to the consumer in communicating the value of the incredible edible egg™ 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. Visit www.incredibleegg.org for more information.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's 394 national parks, including the South Lawn of the White House. NPF assists in the coordination and planning of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll and also accepts donations to benefit the event.  Chartered by Congress, NPF works hand in hand with the National Park Service to strengthen and connect all Americans to our parks, so they are protected for present and future generations. It is a legacy that began more than a century ago, when private citizens took action to first establish, then protect and endow our national parks. Today, the National Park Foundation carries on that tradition as the only national charitable partner for America's national parks.  To learn more visit www.nationalparks.org.

Join us – This is Your Land. www.nationalparks.org  
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/nationalpark  
TWITTER http://twitter.com/goparks

Media Contact: Angela Hearn, 202.354.6475, ahearn@nationalparks.org

(1) Exler J, Patterson KY, and Holden JM. (2011) Nutrient data for whole, large eggs from a USDA nationwide sampling. Experimental Biology, Washington D.C.
(2) United States Agricultural Department, Economic Research Service. Data as of February 20, 2009.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-45-00. Accessed March 14, 2011.

SOURCE National Park Foundation