White House Easter Egg Roll gets Big Tech sponsors
Tech giants that helped pay for President Trump's inauguration are among the sponsors of this year's Easter Egg Roll on the lawn of the White House.
The list includes Amazon and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, according to a news release from Melania Trump's office. The companies donated $1 million each to Trump's swearing-in festivities as they sought to mend relations in his second term after high-profile clashes in his first.
The Easter Egg Roll has been privately funded for years, CNN reported. But the administration's decision to seek corporate sponsors for the event, scheduled for Monday, is a first.
CNN reported in March that sponsorship costs range from $75,000 to $200,000. In exchange, sponsors receive naming rights, branded signage and Easter baskets and mentions by the Trump administration in press releases and on social media. The White House has said the revenue will go to the nonprofit White House Historical Association.
Richard Painter, an attorney who served as President George W. Bush's chief counsel on ethics, told CNN the concept of corporate sponsorships "would have been vetoed in about 30 seconds in my day."
"We're not running this like a football stadium where you get all logos all over the place for kicking in money," CNN quoted Painter as saying.
YouTube, another participant in this year's event, said its involvement has become "an annual tradition," NPR reported. The platform is partnering on a "Bunny Hop Stage," according to the news release.
Amazon and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, didn't respond to requests for comment, NPR reported. The news release listed a "Reading Nook," a "Family Photo Opportunity Celebrating Reading," courtesy of Amazon, and an "AI-Powered Experience and Photo Opportunity," courtesy of Meta. The event also features a 'Ringing of the Bell Photo Opportunity, courtesy of the New York Stock Exchange.'
The American Egg Board is supplying 30,000 hard-boiled eggs and a 'Garden Café for Tasty Treats," CNN reported. Other participants include The Toy Association, the International Fresh Produce Association, the National Confectioners Association, GALA and Signature Brands LLC.
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