Special Report:Xbox Gives Back to Para Los NiñosPublished October 24 2007 I grew up in one of New York's most dangerous neighborhoods. Rundown parks and violent crime made "playing outside" a dicey proposition. In 1978, my mother and grandparents brought the Magnavox Odyssey—an ancient console—home from a thrift store. It introduced us to the world of home videogames, a safe way to let our imaginations run wild, and to spend time with each other. That trip down memory lane was triggered by a real life trip I took recently to Los Angeles' skid row with Aaron Greenberg and Juan Posada, two legendary members of the Xbox® team.
One of the community centers run by Para Los Niños. Juan and Aaron coordinated an event where Microsoft donated 50 Xbox 360™ consoles to an organization called Para Los Niños. The group runs 24 community centers in working class neighborhoods throughout the city of Los Angeles. The centers provide over 3,500 kids a safe place to hang out, learn, and build confidence. Para Los Niños also built one of the finest charter schools in the country to cater to these children in need. Juan represented Microsoft and gave his speech in both English and Spanish. MTV Trés showed up to shoot interviews. Some of the Xbox.com local MVPs and community bloggers, like Parris from Unclegamer.com, aceattorney, WitchKing9, Ed Webb, and Andy Carr from Xboxlivecrew.com stopped by to show love. Giselle Acevedo, CEO of Para Los Niños, spoke to the families and press in attendance, and expressed her sincere gratitude for the donation, though nothing we give them could ever make up for the contribution Giselle and her team are making to their community. It was uplifting to see how much the organization appreciated and understood the role that videogames can play in encouraging family interaction, cooperation and imagination.
Dia de la Familia was well attended. Several children, no older than 10 or 12, interviewed our team, asking about everything from our job responsibilities to our career aspirations. They asked for business cards and took notes. I can't remember what I was doing at that age, but I doubt I had 1/10th of the confidence and sense of purpose displayed by these future reporters and bloggers. Hearing the kids and families cheer each other on in a Viva Piñata®: Party Animals race and an intense match of FIFA 08, I was reminded of the strong link between videogame consoles and my own family. For all the hardcore status I might pretend to have, it was my grandfather, a World War II veteran, who taught me how to master Tetris, and it was my hardworking mom who saved up the money to buy me nearly every gaming console I have ever owned.
Soccer, er, football match under way. It was great fun to spend time with these bright, motivated kids, and the caring adults who have taken a deep interest in these children. It was also nice to be reminded, through the unrehearsed smiles and laughter of the children, what games are all about. The next time you worry about whether or not casual games will take away your beloved hobby, remember that you were new at this once too, and it may have been a family member, or a staff member at a community center who started your whole love affair with games in the first place. Article by Nelson Rodriguez |
