Big Savings for a Big Family

Kristy Thompson climbed aboard the Griffon roller coaster at Busch Gardens with 10 family members: her parents, brothers, sister, daughter and nephew. The extra-wide carriage crawled up the first incline, paused and then plummeted 205 feet toward the ground. The wind whipped Thompson's face, and she screamed in excitement.

"We all thought it was awesome," said Thompson, administrative assistant for the Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition & Metabolism Center at Duke. "When you get to that first drop and your legs are dangling with nothing underneath them, it's really scary but fun."

Thompson purchased 11 tickets to Busch Gardens through PERQS, Duke's employee discount program, and shaved 20 percent off the regular ticket price - a $154 savings. The three generations of her family used the tickets to celebrate a nephew's birthday at the amusement park in Williamsburg, Va.

Using the Duke employee discount program for family celebrations is a tradition for Thompson and her family. Over the years, the family has used Duke discounts for Carowinds and Kings Dominion.

"My brother decides where we should go, and then he calls me to see if we can get a Duke discount," Thompson said.

For the birthday celebration in 2011, the Busch Gardens' roller coasters were the big draw. In addition to the Griffon, the family rode the double looping Loch Ness Monster roller coaster and the Alpengeist, which turns riders upside down six times in as many minutes. The family also enjoyed games and a haunted house.

"We went to one water pistol game where the 11 of us filled up all the slots, so we knew one of us would likely win the prize," Thompson recalled. "We plan the trip as a family, and we enjoy it as a family. It's a great way to celebrate."