Reznet

Fun Isn't Free

By Amanda Teller

DES MOINES, Iowa—John Krois loves bringing his son, Adam, to watch Cubs games, and the cost doesn’t really matter.

"It's a friendly, fun place to go to," Krois said. "It's also very clean and very well-kept."

Krois said although the prices are expensive—he estimated he spends $40 to $50 each time—he doesn’t mind because the park provides a safe, comfortable place for him and his son to share his love of baseball.

For large families, Sunday is the ideal day to come to the park and save money because the park offers a Sunday Family Pack, which costs $40. The family pack includes four general admission tickets, four hot dogs, four large drinks and four baseball caps.

The Cowleys and the Gilkesons came to the game together because their sons play on the same Little League team.

"I come for the entertainment, but the boys really do love baseball," Atina Cowley said of her three children, Kinzie, Tray and Ty. "They love watching Cubbie Bear or trying to catch the hot dog or T-shirt throw. We never catch them, but the kids always try."

Jeanine and Jeff Gilkeson enjoy bringing their family to a game at least three times a year whenever their busy schedules allow.

"It gives the family something to do, but it’s not a usual Sunday thing," Jeanine Gilkeson said.

While her husband, Jeff, estimated they spend an average of $80 each time, she said they spend $50 to $60 each time. Their purchases include general admission tickets, hot dogs, drinks, french fries and the occasional beer.

Nicci Marcus said her family spends an average of $50 to $70 per game, depending on whether they buy a beer or souvenir.

The last game they attended was when their daughter, Hanna, won tickets from the local library and took her father, Andy, on a "daddy date," Nicci Marcus said.

She said her husband and daughter share an interest in baseball. The family recently moved from Arizona where Andy Marcus had season tickets to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"Since they don’t have major league baseball here in Des Moines, this is the next best thing," he said.

Although Nicci Marcus has no interest in the sport, it is the family aspect of baseball that brings her to the game. The park gives her family an opportunity to "just get out and have fun," she said. The bond with her family outweighs the marked price of attending the game.

Amanda Teller, Navajo, is a student at the University of New Mexico-Gallup.