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Wii Fit(R) room grand opening for Grand Forks!

(Left to Right)Ms. Denae Grove, 319th Health and Wellness Center; Mr. Torrie Enget, Manager, Best Buy; SrA Brandon Toomey, 319th Force Support Squadron; and SrA Eric Spielmaker, 319 FSS cut the ribbon on the new Wii Fit(R) area at Grand Forks Air Force Base. The new fitness center addition is the first of its kind in the Air Force and is based on the popular game system, the Nintendo(TM) Wii(R). The Wii Fit(R) program has been shown to improve fitness in a fun, exciting new way. No federal endorsement of Best Buy(TM) or Nintendo(TM) is given or implied. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos)

Wii Fit® room grand opening for Grand Forks!

Published Sept. 30, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos
319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Grand Forks AFB has brought a popular fitness craze to its Airmen with the grand opening of a Wii Fit® room at the base fitness center during a ceremony held at the center filled with wing and community leaders, Airmen and families Sep. 30.

The Wii Fit® is part of gaming system introduced by Nintendo™ for the Wii® console and has been shown to have fitness benefits while making the time spent exercising fun and exciting. The system allows for the user to exercise using yoga, balance, aerobics and strength games.

Grand Forks AFB is the first base in the Air Force to introduce Wii Fit® to its Airmen and the response to the program has been enthusiastically positive.

"This project will use the latest gaming technology to encourage active play in children of all ages, as well as improving the fitness of base Airmen," said Senior Airman Brandon Toomey, 319th Force Support Squadron fitness center specialist.

Base Health and Wellness Center personnel are also taking an interest in the ground-breaking fitness center addition and are looking at new innovative ways to get more Airmen involved in the project.

"We are excited about being a part of this unique program," said Ms. Denae Grove, HAWC. "We are in the process of collecting data showing the daily use and looking at both a marketing plan and a way to incorporate this project into our health and wellness programs."

(No federal endorsement of Nintendo™ or its products is implied or given)