The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities is doing something about childhood obesity by taking action to address a problem that has become a national health crisis.
The Jerry Gamble branch (2410 Irving) of the Boys & Girls Club recently received a special donation from UnitedHealthcare of 200 NERF ENERGY Game Kits to help encourage local youth to be more physically active through “exergaming.” MN Representative Fue Lee and Misty Magner-Ladner, UnitedHealthcare of Minnesota, passed out the kits to the Northside Jerry Gamble Club on January 25.
The kits, which include an activity tracker, soccer ball and instructions to download the limited-release NERF ENERGY RUSH mobile game, were donated to the Jerry Gamble Club by UnitedHealthcare in collaboration with Hasbro.
Club members participated in the demonstration event to try out the kits and learn how to use the devices in fun and playful ways. As children participate in physical activity, they are rewarded with “energy points” that are tracked by the kit’s activity band, and these points turn into screen time to play the mobile game on a smartphone or tablet.
The donation is part of a national initiative started two years ago by UnitedHealthcare and Hasbro to donate more than 10,000 kits to schools and community organizations encouraging young people to become more active.