Fact Check

Was the White House Easter Bunny Sponsored by Paas for the First Time in 2017?

This wasn't the first year the Paas bunny made an appearance at the White House.

Published April 18, 2017

 (Sean Spicer / Instagram)
Image Via Sean Spicer / Instagram
Claim:
The White House Easter Bunny was sponsored by Paas for the first time in 2017.

An image showing an Easter bunny wearing overalls displaying the logo for Paas, a company known for making Easter egg coloring kits, at the 2017 White House Easter Egg Roll was posted online, along with claims that it was the first time that the official White House Easter Bunny had a corporate sponsor:

The photograph of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and a Paas-branded Easter bunny is authentic, as is the image of First Lady Michelle Obama and a non-branded Easter bunny. However, it's inaccurate to say that the this was the first time that a Paas bunny was present at the event, or that the official White House Easter Bunny was sponsored by a corporate entity.

The annual event at the White House typically features a number of costumed characters. In 2017, there were at least two Easter bunnies on the White House grounds. Although we found no reports deeming one of the costumed creatures the "official" White House Easter bunny, a photographer snapped a picture of President Trump standing on a balcony with an Easter bunny sans corporate sponsorship.  

The Paas Easter bunny has also been present at previous events. The Paas bunny was present at at least one Easter Egg Roll during Obama's tenure, and a photograph from 2003 shows the character at the White House when George W. Bush was president.  

A spokesman for Paas told us that the company has been involved with the White House egg roll for over 20 years and that the Paas bunny frequently makes an appearance:

“PAAS has been a partner of the White House Easter Egg Roll for more than 20 years. We supply egg-dyeing kits to all the children attending the event, and as gifts to take home afterwards. As part of that partnership, the PAAS-branded Easter bunny makes appearances, as was the case this year.”

Sources

Klein, Betsy.   "Melania Trump kicks off 139th annual Easter Egg Roll."     CNN.   17 April 2017.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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