Girls Inc. sends two girls to White House for today's Easter Egg Roll

girls.jpgAubri Wherry, left, and Yanci Horton are in Washington, D.C. today for the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House. (The Huntsville Times/Michael Mercier)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Each year, the White House hosts an Easter Egg Roll the Monday after Easter. This year is no exception, and two girls from Madison County will be there.

Yanci Horton and Audri Wherry, both members of Huntsville's Girls Inc., will spend two hours on the South Lawn of the White House today. They are among 30,000 people from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to receive tickets for the event.

The local Girls Inc. affiliate entered a lottery for tickets the national Girls Inc. office received for the Egg Roll. When the office won spots for two girls, the staff offered them to Yanci, a fifth-grader at West Madison Elementary School, and Audri, a third-grader at Lynn Fanning Elementary.

"We looked for girls who had been involved with a program for a long time," said Stephanie Malone, executive director of Girls Inc.

Each girl took one parent with her for the Egg Roll, which will take place in five sessions over the day. Yanci and Audri are supposed to be in the 2:10 to 4:10 p.m. group, along with 6,000 others.

When Krystal Horton, Yanci's mom, found out her daughter had the chance to go to the White House, she thought "I've got to make it happen," she said. "This is a chance of a lifetime."

Audri's dad, Fred Walker, is with her, and it's the first trip to the nation's capitol for both of them.

First lady Michelle Obama is the honorary chairwoman of Girls Inc., and that relationship has opened a lot of opportunities for the girls in the organization to visit the White House.

With two daughters of her own, Michelle Obama "can really identify with our mission" to educate and empower girls, Malone said.

While on the grounds of the White House today, the girls and their parents can listen to live music, among other activities. While Yanci's wish to see Jaden Smith won't come true, his sister, Willow, is among those scheduled to perform.

In keeping with the first lady's "Let's Move" initiative to combat childhood obesity, the Egg Roll event will also include a dance party, an obstacle course and basketball and tennis lessons. Guests can also take a session on yoga and take part in an arts and crafts workshop.

The first family usually makes an appearance at some point during the day, which would thrill Yanci and Audri, who are fans of the president's daughters, Malia and Sasha.

If Yanci gets to meet the president himself, she plans to give him a copy of a book she's written called "The Mysterious House," she said.

Girls Inc. "is all about providing life-changing experiences for girls," Malone said. "This is just one more value-added experience."

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