Tanya Wenman Steel:
You know what, we were going to surprise
you by doing the wave, but everyone's standing, so... (laughter) We can't do it. But we can all raise our hands
in joy and excitement for being here. Yeah, whoo! (applause) Mrs. Obama:
Nice. Tanya Wenman Steel:
Well, welcome to the Second
Annual Kids' State Dinner. For those of you
who don't know me, my name is Tanya Wenman Steel. I'm the editor-in-chief
of Epicuious. Mrs. Obama, what an honor and
privilege it is to be here -- I mean, just stupendous. And thank you so much
for having us back again. I guess we didn't make too much of a ruckus last year,
thank God. We didn't tear the
curtains or anything. Several years ago I had
a dream to aid and amplify Mrs. Obama's Let's Move campaign, which aims to inspire, empower,
and educate America's children to become the healthiest
people they can be. You 54 winners have helped
make our dream a reality. Your recipes were judged
against more than 1,300 entries, and it was your creativity
and intelligence that got you here today. And look at where you are. It's the ultimate field
trip; I mean, it really is. At the tender age of
8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, you've arrived amidst the
lingering presence of the many men and women
of action and ideas who have walked these rooms, including Lincoln,
Jefferson, FDR, and Obama, of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
FDR -- oh, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, and even Kermit the Frog,
although I think he hopped in, so... And now you've even met
First Lady and First Mom, the extraordinary
Michelle Obama. You young ambassadors of a
healthy lifestyle are gifted, and your gift to others is to
pay it forward by providing kids around the country and around
the world with inspiration, by giving them your delicious
wholesome dishes to create at home, and by acting as
leaders within your community. You're all global citizens here,
and I'm not just talking to those too young to drive; I'm talking to everybody
in this room. You've all arrived
on the world stage. But just as I didn't dream up
this contest all by myself, you kids didn't get here, looking as gorgeous
and sharp as you do, without the encouragement
and help of your parents and teachers,
sisters and brothers, grandparents and friends,
cats, dogs, and hamsters. Let's not forget the hamsters;
they're very cool. Thus, to all you junior chefs, some of whom have founded
charities, run marathons, gotten a 99 on a test, done your chores without
being asked -- amazing -- or performed random
acts of kindness, know that you are leaders
in this world already. And to you I raise
an imaginary glass of refreshing, healthy water. And speaking as a mom
of 6'3" 15-year-olds, I know how hard it
is to guide, teach, and always promote
the health choice. So a second toast
of refreshing water to the parents and
family members here. Cheers. Your recipes weren't just
filled with Greek yogurt, salmon, and kale, but with tales
of struggle and triumph. They were, in short,
recipes for success, because you all know
that eating healthy makes you not just strong of
body, but strong of mind. You all know that your
dedication to a healthy life puts you on the path
to do great things, to be an astronaut or a
scientist, athlete or doctor, maybe even President. I think I could speak for
Mrs. Obama when I say that you all inspire us. Your commitment strengthens our
commitment and ripples out like circles of water
ever-widening. And just like the fireworks we all ooh'd and ahh'd at
five days ago, you will continue to hit
every greater heights, sparkling amidst us all. Or, as one of my favorite
writers, Dr. Seuss, put it, "Be your name Buxbaum
or Bixby or Bray, or Mordecai Ali
Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting,
so get on your way." Now I'd like to introduce
you to another leader, last year's winner from Arizona. She's accomplished
more in a decade than I have in more than four, thanks in large part to
her mom Charmaine right there. Twelve-year-old Haile Thomas is
already a leading spokesperson for the cause of healthy eating. She began cooking
at the age of 5, creating recipes
at the age of 8, has spoken at not one
but two TEDx conferences. I've never been invited to one. She's on the Alliance for
a Healthier Generation Youth Advisory Board, a spokesperson for Hyatt, sat in Mrs. Obama's box during the most recent
State of the Union, and just founder her own
nonprofit called HAPPY. It's my great pleasure to
introduce Haile Thomas. Thank you. (applause) Mrs. Obama:
We've got a box. It's a special box,
specially made for you. Haile Thomas:
Hello, everyone. This is so exciting. I'm proud to be here
representing last year's winners and kids everywhere who motivate
and inspire their peers and families to cook
and eat healthily. I'd like to thank Tanya Steel
for creating this incredible opportunity
for kids to showcase their culinary skills and be
rewarded in such an amazing way, and to the First Lady for
making this event possible. You both are really awesome. (laughter) I'd like to start off by talking
a little bit about myself. As Tanya mentioned, I'm a
Youth Advisory Board member with the Alliance for
a Healthier Generation, a junior chef consultant
and youth spokesperson for Hyatt Hotels'
For Kids By Kids menu, and the cofounder of my
own HAPPY Organization, which offers kids
cooking classes, nutrition education,
and fun physical activities. And I am so grateful to be able
to share in this opportunity. And, you know, all of my
partnerships have really empowered me to make healthy
choices and to encourage my peers to do the same. Now, to this year's
junior chefs, I remember sitting in your
exact position last year, filled with so much excitement
and proud to be representing my home state of Arizona. So congratulations, and -- (applause) I know you will enjoy every
moment of this experience, and I'm sure you have. I also want to let you know that
you're joining a very special community of kids and their
families, the 2012 winners, and we are all connected through
social networking and continue to encourage and support
each other to get kids in our communities to eat
healthy and move more. So welcome to the Healthy
Lunchtime Challenge family, and I'm very excited to
connect with each of you. Now, for the absolutely
main event for me today, it is my honor and dream come
true to introduce the person who motivates and
inspires me every day to be a health
advocate for kids. She is a dynamic force behind
the movement to get kids eating healthily
and moving more. And, as I mentioned before,
responsible for making Ms. Steel's dream a reality. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor
and dream come true, again, to introduce the
First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Michelle Obama. (applause) Mrs. Obama:
Thank you, guys. (applause) Thank you so much. You all, rest yourselves. I know you've been
waiting patiently. Coming to the White House,
it's a big hassle, isn't it? (laughter) You guys should really
know that this is what it's like to be a part of
an official state dinner. We set this event up
and we mirrored it exactly to what people experience
when we host world leaders. We were in this very room --
that receiving line you had to sit through --
stand through, we do that. So it takes a little patience
being at the White House. But you guys are phenomenal. We are so proud of you all. I want to start
by thanking Haile. Gosh, girl, I mean, you're --
I have had the opportunity to spend a little bit of
time with this young lady, and every time I am with
her, she is that poised, that gracious, that
bright, that inspiring. And you did it again. (laughter) You did it --
I am so proud of you for setting an example. And I know you couldn't do it
without -- I know you want -- go ahead and cry -- (laughter) -- because I would
be crying right now. We're very proud of you. And Haile is an example for
all of you, what your little, powerful voices can do
to change the world. So we are very
proud of you, babe. Thanks for being here. I also want to thank
Tanya, as well, and everyone from Epicurious
for supporting this event and inspiring thousands of children
to get creative and get cooking with their parents. We couldn't have done this
event without you all. You all have been
amazing partners. To me, this is an annual
event so I hope you get your work shoes on and we're going
to get started for next year. I also have to thank one of
my dear friends and essential partners in this effort to get
our kids healthy and active -- Secretary Tom Vilsack, from
the Department of Agriculture. (applause) Thank you. You've been an awesome partner. None of the changes that have
been made could have been done without your leadership. And it is something that I know
you've been focused on your entire life and I'm just
grateful for the support and leadership
that you've shown. I also want to thank
all of the staff members from both the Departments of
Agriculture and Education for all the work
that you all do. And we've got many
representatives here. Can you guys stand so that
the kids at your tables know who you are? These men and women in suits and
ties and jackets and stuff -- they do the hard work every day. (applause) And a little later on, we're
going to have a special guest -- a wonderful young woman
by the name of Rachel Crow, who's going to be
performing here today. She's got an awesome voice. She was involved
in the X-Factor. She's very cool. She's going to be
here to entertain. But I also want to join in
thanking all the parents who are here with us today -- the parents,
the grandparents. And I know out there somewhere
are teachers and educators who are also inspiring
these young people. Thank you for bringing
your kids here today. Thank you for loving
them, for supporting them, for encouraging them. I know we've got one
grandma in the room -- yay to the grandmas in the room. We love the grandmas. You guys are amazing. Kids, let's give your family
members a round of applause. (applause) And most of all, I want to thank and recognize
the stars of today's show -- the 54 winners of
the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge! Our stars. (applause) Yes! Just take a look around -- especially over in
that corner over there. (laughter) That is what we
call the press. (laughter) They're here for you, and there are a lot
of you all here today. They don't show up like
this for just anybody. I mean, I tell you, sometimes
there are just a few of them over in a little corner -- (laughter) -- but today, they're all out
in full force because of you. You all, you come from
every corner of our country. Every state is represented
here today -- go, every state! You all have created nutritious,
delicious dishes inspired by the MyPlate nutritional
guidelines for healthy meals. And you all stood
out among a pool of more than 1,300 submissions
for this contest. So this was no easy task. If you deal in
statistics and odds, the odds were pretty tough
getting one of these seats at this table. So you should be very
proud of yourselves. And that's why this is truly
one of my favorite events that we have here
in the White House. I mean, we do a lot
of cool stuff here. We've got singers and stars
and world leaders, but this, probably throughout
the entire White House, is one of our favorite events
because we get to see how talented and
creative and brilliant all of you young people can be. And then we get
to show the world. And we don't just get to
see it, we get to taste it. (laughter) Just listen to some
of the delicious, nutritious dishes
that these kids dreamed up: "Banana's Black
Bean Burritos" -- (applause) Yes, let's hear it. (laughter) Okay, moms, you guys are
going to have to cheer it up for your kids because
they're so nervous. I know you're thinking
to yourselves, my kids talk so much, but then
they came here to the First Lady and they didn't say a word. (laughter) "Confetti Peanut
Ginger Party Pasta." (applause) "Pan Seared Mississippi
Catfish on a Bed of River Rice." (applause) That's my guy --
catfish loving. "Bring It On Brussels
Sprout Wrap." (applause) Bring it on! "Slam-Dunk Veggie Burger." (applause) And then there are the "Fun
Mini-Pizzas with Veggies and Cauliflower Crust." (applause) Listen to this, all of you --
we're going to be eating that here because all
the dishes here are among those that
were submitted. But this recipe was submitted
by Olivia Neely from Kansas. And let me just
tell you something, Olivia's crust is gluten-free
and it is made of cauliflower, egg, low-fat cheese and spices. And when Sam Kass -- who is the
Let's Move Executive Director and Assistant White House
Chef -- tasted it -- is Sam here? There's Sam Kass. Sam didn't -- he didn't believe that there wasn't
any wheat in it. He was skeptical. (laughter) The health guy
was skeptical. (laughter) So skeptical that he
walked down to the kitchen and asked the chef whether
they'd slipped in some wheat to make sure that the
crust tasted right. But they told him,
nope, no wheat; just the ingredients
Olivia put in the recipe. So we have seen that when kids
like all of you get involved in creating your own healthy
meals, the results can really be amazing and delicious and fun. You'll come up with ideas
that none of us grownups ever thought of. You'll find new ways to get
your families and friends to eat healthy and try new foods. I know that all of you have been
motivated by different events in your life, different
people in your life, even, to cook healthy and
to make changes. And some of you might even start your own online
cooking show maybe. Maybe you'll start
making appearances on local TV newscasts. I know some of you have
already started doing that -- like Amber Kelley, our winner
from Washington State. Amber, where are you? (laughter) You slipped right
under my nose. You've been making
the TV rounds? Pretty spectacular. But that's really what
drives Let's Move -- the energy and imagination
that's inside each and every one
of you in this room. We know that if you're
able to eat healthy foods, if you have more opportunities
to get up and active -- because that's all part
of it, we all know that, got to get up and move --
and if you're surrounded by parents and teachers
and community leaders who encourage you to
live healthier lives, then there's no telling what
you'll achieve. There's no telling. That's why we're working with
businesses across the country, like Epicurious, to find new
ways to promote healthy eating. It's why we're working with
schools and health professionals to teach you about making
good choices not just at home, but in school as well. Because we know sometimes
you get to school, you lose your mind, right? (laughter) We're working on that. It's why we're working with
restaurants and food companies and grocery stores, so that you
have healthy options that give you the energy that you need to
succeed in school and in life. Because in the end, Let's Move
isn't just about what happens in the kitchen or at
the dinner table. It's also about what happens
after you fuel up with those right foods. It's about making sure that your
body can be strong and healthy, and your mind can be ready to
learn and explore and dream, today and for years to come. That's really what
this is all about. This is about giving
you the foundation to fly high and dream big. Right here in this room,
we're already seeing what can happen if you're
making healthy choices, because as Tanya mentioned, this group is full
of student leaders, not just student chefs. You guys are members of
your student council. We have some Odyssey of the
Mind finalists in this room. We've got Spelling Bee
champions in this room. We have volunteers who serve
throughout their communities. Lydia Finkbeiner from Indiana
donated half the proceeds from her lemonade stand
to a children's hospital. And Liam from Wisconsin -- where's my guy, Liam? Where are you? There's Liam with his bowtie --
started an organization called Harvest Ninjas
to raise awareness about childhood hunger. And I know that there are so
many more examples like this -- I heard a few of them during
the receiving line -- of all the wonderful things
that you guys are doing in your lives. So the point is that none
of us knows what's next for all of you; none of us
knows how far you can go. All of that is really up to you. And it's about eating healthy, but it's also working
hard in school. Because my second question
is, how are your grades? Are you working hard? But we do know that if you
keep dreaming up new ideas, if you keep eating healthy
and getting active, then you're going to make your
communities and your country stronger than ever before. You really are. You all are the future. Each of you has so much
promise and so much potential. As 8-year-old Nicholas
Hornbostel from Colorado said, "I really want to be a cook and an engineer and
be president, too." (laughter) That's an outstanding list. (laughter) That's what this state
dinner is really about. We really want you guys
to realize your dreams. And as I always say when I have
kids here, I want you to think, if you can walk in this room
and sit at these chairs, and be in front
of these cameras, and meet the First Lady
of the United States, then you can do
anything in the world. You really can. You can do anything
you want in the world. So your next task
is to pass it on. You've got to keep
passing it on. There are a lot of other little
kids who would love to be in this room and they can't,
but you can bring them here. You can share your
thoughts and ideas. You can do as Haile has
done -- become a leader. You guys are more than
equipped to do it. You guys are already doing it. So keep working hard, all right? You guys promise me that? Do I hear some
promises going on here? You guys are hungry, aren't you? (laughter) All right, I know when we have
hungry children in the room. Well, you guys
have a great time. Eat well. And I can't wait to see what
you're going to do with your lives in
the years to come. I love you all. Thanks for coming. (applause)
