K’NEX, the only U.S. construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love™, is celebrating the addition of new K’NEX Mario Kart™ Wii Building Sets to the wildly successful and award winning building line on Thursday, August 23rd with a fun-filled, in-store event for fans. The celebration will be held at the Nintendo World Store in New York City’s Rockefeller Center from 9 AM to 1 PM.

Designed for children ages 6+, the Mario Kart Wii Building Sets combine the award-winning K’NEX building system with beloved characters from the popular Mario Kart Wii game, bringing Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong and other fan favorites from the video screen to the construction aisle!

“We are excited to partner with Nintendo World Store to unveil the newest K’NEX Mario Kart Wii Building Sets to our fans,” said Michael Araten, president and CEO of K’NEX. “What the success of this line has shown us is that not only are we enabling kids to build a world they love, but by offering them interchangeable track and expansions sets it becomes their world—a world in which using their imagination is key, where they can interact with their favorite characters and bring the video game to life in a whole new way!"

The event will allow fans to learn more about the new products through a series of hands-on activities, including building stations, product demonstrations, and photo opportunities with Mario and Luigi. In addition, all gaming stations at the Nintendo World Store will feature Mario Kart games during the event, and the first 1,000 fans to enter the store on August 23rd will receive a free K’NEX Mario Kart Wii Buildable Figure Bag.

Fans can also compete in a variety of contests including “Guess the Number of Figures” and “Fastest Builder” for a chance to win K’NEX Mario Kart Wii Building Sets.
During the event, a giant track display will demonstrate the size and scope of tracks that can be built at home with the purchase of multiple sets.
The new additions to the K’NEX Mario Kart Wii line will debut in August 2012 in retail stores across the country. Suggested retail prices range from $7.99 to $149.99. For more information, visit http://www.knex.com.