President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to Light National Christmas Tree December 1 at President's Park

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will help wrap the National Park Service Centennial celebrations when they officially light the National Christmas Tree in President's Park on Dec. 1 during the 2016 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Simone Manuel is also set to make a special appearance with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Hosted by Eva Longoria, this year's National Christmas Tree Lighting features a line-up of chart topping talent who will make the night merry and bright. Yolanda Adams, Marc Anthony, Kelly Clarkson, The Lumineers, Chance the Rapper, James Taylor, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood will all perform a collection of holiday favorites accompanied by Afro Blue and the Airmen of Note.

Keep up with the National Christmas Tree on Twitter at @TheNationalTree and follow #NCTL2016 on social media for more information about the event and its history.

The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks. Through a partnership with the National Park Foundation, the Hallmark Channel will exclusively broadcast the National Christmas Tree Lighting on Monday, December 5 at 7 p.m. ET.  The event can also be viewed on the National Christmas Tree Lighting website, thenationaltree.org, starting Tuesday, December 6, 2016.

An American holiday tradition started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923, the National Christmas Tree Lighting is a great example of the countless ways there are to #FindYourPark.

Celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service, Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque is a public awareness and education movement to inspire people from all backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support America's national parks and community-based programs. Celebrating the National Park Service Centennial and setting the stage for the Service's next 100 years, #FindYourPark invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nation's natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 413 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

The National Park Service has cared for the White House and its grounds since 1933. President's Park, which includes the Ellipse and Lafayette Park, was officially included in the national park system in 1961.

ABOUT CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS
Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., housing cable's leading family friendly networks, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, as well as their corresponding digital extensions HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMoviesandMysteries.com. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 90 million subscribers and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 67 million homes in the United States. Hallmark Channel features an ambitious slate of new, original content, including movies; scripted series, such as "When Calls the Heart," and "Good Witch" and "Chesapeake Shores"; annual specials including "Hero Dog Awards" and "Kitten Bowl"; world premieres of Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations, and a daily, two-hour lifestyle show, "Home & Family." Hallmark Channel is also home to the popular annual holiday franchise "Countdown to Christmas," featuring a lineup of 24/7 holiday programming. Rounding out the network's lineup are television's most beloved comedy and drama series, including "The Golden Girls," "The Middle," "Frasier," "Last Man Standing" and "Home Improvement." Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is a separate 24-hour, digital cable network featuring a unique mix of new, original movies and acquired series focused on the lighter side of the suspense and mystery genres. The network also features its own annual holiday programming franchise, "Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas," as well as presentations from the multi-award-winning Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, a $350 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

National Park Service
Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles 
202-619-7177    
jenny_anzelmo-sarles@nps.gov 

National Park Foundation
Alanna Sobel
202-796-2538
asobel@nationalparks.org  

Hallmark Channel
Pam Slay
818-755-2480
pamslay@crownmedia.com

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SOURCE National Park Foundation