YMCA Use Wii To Promote Fitness, Family

Officials from Nintendo of America officials have announced that the company recently donated 100 Nintendo Wii 'party packs' to YMCA chapters nationally, and that these consoles will figure prominently in the organization's efforts to bring families together as well as to promote physical fitness. According to Nintendo, the consoles will be used by the organization to help “bridge the gap between parents and their kids” through the YMCA's Adventure Guides programs, a program offered in YMCAs across the country designed to strengthen the relationship between a parent and a child. In addition, on Saturday, April 14, many of the YMCA chapters also will incorporate Wii games into its Healthy Kids Day, a day-long event designed to offer children and families a free, activity-filled experience to promote a healthy “spirit, mind and body.” Participation varies depending on the chapter, but participants will get their hands on games like Wii Sports. In addition, the events will also aim to demonstrate how Nintendo's latest console's motion-sensitive controller can become a part of an active lifestyle by getting players up and keep them moving. "Consumers all over America are telling us the Wii helps them to stay active and fit and also gives them another reason to be together as a family," commented George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Wii has quickly become a part of America's fitness plan, from bowling leagues for active seniors to kids and parents who sweat through Wii Sports pentathlons together."