By Get Game Smart

On April 30 in Washington, D.C., Get Game Smart partner the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) and other industry leaders launched the Active Play Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge, an initiative that uses video games to promote healthy living.

Xbox was onsite for the day’s activities along with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, members of the President’s Council, and Drew Brees and Dominique Dawes, celebrity co-chairs of the initiative. The first part of the day took place at the Walker Jones Education Campus, where local students were on hand to demonstrate the PALA Challenge video games, including Microsoft’s “Kinect Sports: Season Two.” Council members and other guests also had their turn trying out the games, experiencing firsthand how these fun games get families moving.

The activities then moved to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where industry stakeholders could tour the “Art of Video Games” exhibit and experience “Kinect Sports: Season Two” and other participating “exergames.” New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees stopped by the Kinect station and played football on “Kinect Sports: Season Two,” leading his team to victory!

The day ended with remarks from Secretary Sebelius, President’s Council celebrity co-chair Drew Brees and ESA president and CEO Michael Gallagher who discussed how video games can be a key component of an active lifestyle and help Americans earn the President’s Active Lifestyle Award.

The Active Play PALA Challenge is open to people of all ages who want to get moving in a fun, interactive way. Click here to learn more about the new challenge and how “Kinect Sports” can help you reach the specified fitness goals.