Viola Boone and Yvonne Franklin swept their arms back, threw them forward and bowled their way to a first-place team award at a bowling tournament on Wednesday.

But they weren’t using actual bowling balls, and they weren’t hitting actual pins. The women, along with about 20 other participants of the tournament at the East Suffolk Recreation Center, were playing on the Wii gaming system.

The purpose of the tournament, sponsored by Suffolk Parks and Recreation and Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community, was to show seniors they can still be active even if they are not as nimble as they once were.

“They seemed to have a great time,” said Robbie Laughton, executive director of the partnership. “The game itself gives them a little bit of exercise; we tried to keep them moving. We just talked about trying to live as active a life as possible.”

Boone and Franklin took first-place team to the cheers of their fellow bowlers, the oldest of whom was 84-year-old Duane Hass. Boone also took awards for the high individual game and for rolling five strikes in a row, the most of any participant.

“I enjoy Wii bowling,” Boone said, showing off her medals and gift card she won for all her efforts.

Wii bowling works by a controller held in the hand of the participant. The alley and pins are shown on a television screen.

Second-place team went to Hass and Gary Williams. The third-place team was Eloise Cheeks and Allene Knight.

For more information on the Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community, visit www.suffolkpartnership.com.