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Contact:
Barbara Uebelacker
Patch Products, Inc.
1400 E. Inman Pkwy.
Beloit, WI 53511
(800) 524-4263 x 246
barbu@patchproducts.com |
September 1, 2006 |
Play Board Games and Have Fun during
the Million Minute Family Challenge™
BELOIT, Wis. – Patch Products has announced the start of the sixth annual Million Minute Family
Challenge™ and is encouraging people across the nation to play board games for the next four months to
log a total of 1 million minutes.
Patch, a leading manufacturer of board and card games, sponsors the Million Minute Family Challenge
every year to encourage interaction and communication among family and friends by playing board games. One
million minutes—or nearly 695 days—might seem like a lofty goal. But if 1,000 families, groups or organizations
in each of the 50 states play a board game for 20 minutes, that’s 1,000,000 minutes.
The sixth annual challenge starts Sept. 1 and runs through Dec. 31. Thousands of game players from across the
country participated last year, logging a total of 1,004,294 minutes. Players represented 45 of the 50 states;
only Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada and South Dakota didn’t log any game minutes. California posted the
highest total—157,548 game-playing minutes.
This year’s supporters who help bring awareness to the Million Minute Family Challenge include KOA,
National Games Week, Great Wolf Lodge, Blue Harbor Resort, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and iParenting
Media.
Everyone can participate by playing games and logging minutes at
www.millionminute.com. The Web site is filled
with fun ideas about how to participate, games to play and educational information including the benefits of
family time, the history of games, and how to use games in the classroom.
“When friends or family plays games together, everyone has a healthy, productive and enjoyable time. Everyone
benefits!” said Stevanne Auerbach, speaker, author and consultant known as Dr. Toy. “Most of all, everyone
enjoys those special game times and taking things a little slower than going all the time at the speed of
light.”
Even with the emergence of high-tech options, board games have remained a popular form of family
entertainment since the first one was played in 1843.
“Playing games with children not only helps them learn, but it can help parents learn a lot about their
kids,’’ said Lisa Wuennemann, director of marketing at Patch Products. “Moms and dads can assess skill
development—such as color, shape and letter recognition—as well as build social skills like competitiveness,
patience and diplomacy.”
If your family, group or organization is interested in being recognized as a Million Minute Family
Challenge Participating Group, send an e-mail to
bethm@patchproducts.com. Participating Groups are committed to playing games
monthly and logging their group minutes online.
Patch Products, headquartered in Beloit, Wis., is a leading manufacturer and marketer of family entertainment
products. Board games, card games, puzzles and foam sports toys are the core product lines. For more
information, visit www.patchproducts.com.
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