Fun in the Sun with Duke Employee Discounts

Tracy Holmes is planning her family’s next day trip to Carowinds and will ride Fury 325, the new 95 mile-per-hour rollercoaster, as her next thrill-seeking feat. The last time she visited Carowinds, she rode Afterburn, a steel coaster with floorless cars.“I love that rush,” said Holmes, a Duke Police first sergeant. “When you get all the way to the top and you know it’s getting ready to drop, it’s that feeling inside.” By using PERQS, Duke’s employee discount program, Holmes saved $60 on four Carowinds tickets during her last visit. With the discount, staff and faculty pay $40 per ticket for ages 3 and up. From thrill rides to exotic animals, these discounts help employees save on summer fun:Score savings at a soccer matchMake it a goal to see the Carolina RailHawks, North Carolina’s highest-level soccer team. Employees receive 20 percent off tickets. Robin Roach’s 11-year-old son, Devin, has played soccer for two years, and she has been able to introduce him to the professional-level game. “As a family of four, some of these things can be quite expensive,” said Roach, a revenue manager for Duke Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “PERQS allows us to stretch our dollars, but it also allows us to enjoy family time.”Walk on the wild side Find African lions, blue poison dart frogs and polar bears at the North Carolina Zoo, home to about 1,600 animals and 52,000 plants. Ticket prices are $9 to $13, which is $2 off the regular price of admission.Waterfall and mountain viewsJust 25 miles southeast of Asheville, Chimney Rock State Park offers mountain hiking trails, rock climbing and wildlife presentations. Visitors can take in 75-mile views atop Chimney Rock, elevation 2,280 feet. Receive $2 off adult admission and $1 off youth admission.Cool off at a water park Jobiel Arocho and his family travel every year to a water park. Two years ago, they visited Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va., and tried the slides, wave pool and the Hubba Hubba Highway lazy river. “If I want to go anywhere, I check first if we have any discounts,” said Arocho, a credentialing specialist with the Credentialing Verification Office. He saved about $10 per ticket using PERQS at the water park.Receive a 20 percent discount when purchasing single-day tickets.