Megan and Vince LoPresti, and their son, Parker, appeared on NBC’s Today Show on Wednesday, February 19th, 2020.
Today Show producers invited The LoPrestis to the show after Megan and Parker created and submitted a “Why We Love Nintendo & What it Means to Us” video for a Super Nintendo World contest. The duo made the video together to show Parker’s passion for Mario and how Nintendo has been a huge part of their family time as they journey through Parker’s autism and Megan’s battle with multiple sclerosis.
The Today Show and Universal Studios held the contest ahead of the opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Japan, which plans to open later this year. Applicants were asked to submit videos showing why they love Nintendo and what it means to them.
“It would fulfill Parker’s greatest passion,” Megan said on the show. “He loves Mario, and it’s been a big part of our lives in helping keep our family together and moving, so it would mean a lot to us to be able to go.”
Five semi-finalists competed live on the Today Show on Wednesday by holding a phone inside a Mario glove and punching upward on coin boxes, made to represent the boxes in Mario games. The grand prize winner was selected randomly as their phone flashed gold and was presented with a trip to attend the grand opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Japan. All other semi-finalists received a Nintendo prize package worth $600, including a Nintendo Switch, and all-expense paid trip with their choice of either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Studios Orlando.
Megan and Vince hope their experience can be used to help raise additional awareness about MS and Autism.
For more information on MS visit the National MS Society website.
Fore more information on Autism visit the Autism Society website.
Submission Video
Today Show Segment
The LoPresti’s Trip to New York
3/7/2020 Update:
After being on the Today Show, we attended the another event at Grand Central Station where 1,100 fans gathered for a chance to win 1 of 8 additional trips to Japan. Since didn’t win the Today Show’s grand price trip, we were invited to play for a 2nd chance at the Grand Central Station where Universal will filled the Grand Terminal with Nintendo Question Mark Blocks. We still didn’t win a trip to Japan, but we did have the opportunity to interview with Japan’s Shu-ichi (I hope that’s the correct name). A very nice lady from Japan that was involved in the production of the show recorded the segment on her phone and sent me the clip. Sorry the sound didn’t come through, it’s in Japanese so I couldn’t understand it anyway. I don’t even know what it says, hopefully they weren’t saying we’re are crazy people for having so much Nintendo stuff! I mean, I know we are, but I prefer it wasn’t said on international TV.