By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Ever since Nintendo donated one of its hotly coveted Wii video game systems to every Erickson retirement community, residents across the country have logged countless hours playing high-tech versions of their favorite sports.

The Wii (pronounced “we”) bowling game has been a particularly popular pastime among Erickson community members. Teams from four Erickson communities recently competed in a virtual bowling tournament. Each team bowled at their own clubhouse and the games were videorecorded  for the other teams to watch (see page 2, “Bowling for gold,” for the full story).

First prize for ‘Alley Cats’
Charlie and Flora Dierbach, Ginger Kotz, and Otto Rehm—Sedgebrook’s own “Alley Cats”—claimed first prize in the tournament. In October, the winning team received trophies, a champagne toast, and a visit from Lincolnshire Mayor Brett Bloomberg.

Charlie Dierbach says he used to be an avid bowler, until back pain kept him  off the alleys. But now with the Nintendo Wii, which features a wireless handheld controller that detects motion and operates in three dimensions, Dierbach is bowling again.

“We usually get together once a week to play,”  Dierbach says. “It’s a lot of fun—it’s addictive.” Dierbach says his wife Flora was a key to the Alley Cats’ victory in the tournament. “She bowled 300,” he  says. “That’s 23 out of 24 possible strikes.”

Flora Dierbach says she also used to be a regular bowler, and now with the Wii right in Sedgebrook’s clubhouse, she’s bowling once again. “I think the ease of the bowling is something people can identify with,” she says of the gaming system.