Jerry Jones Jr. Family of Clemmons, N.C. Sent Packing as Winner of 'Dodge VANtastic Holiday Voyage' Challenge - Grand Prize-Winning Team Wins Family Vacation
- Dodge challenged 16 teams to test their packing skills as nearly 80 percent of families prepare to hit the road this upcoming holiday season
- Travel expert, Susan Foster, provided packing tips to relieve holiday traveling stress
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 8 -- With nearly 80 percent of families planning to drive for their next holiday vacation[1], the Jerry Jones Jr. family from Clemmons, N.C., just outside of Winston-Salem, beat out 15 other teams to win their own ultimate family road trip in the "Dodge VANtastic Holiday Voyage" challenge held today in Charlotte, N.C.
The Jerry Jones Jr. family proved to be the most efficient and strategic team in the fast-paced competition as they packed over 60 pre-determined items typically needed for a family road trip into an all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan in under 3 minutes. They won the grand prize of $5,000 in vacation expenses and the use of a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan for their travels.
"We had so much fun," said Team Captain Jerry Jones Jr., "We did our homework on the Grand Caravan and worked together as a team to utilize all of the interior storage compartments to the fullest, which, in the end, proved to be a very successful strategy."
The Jerry Jones Jr. team consisted of Patricia Jones, Kathryn Jones-Carlin and Daniel Jones. They plan on using the $5,000 and Dodge Grand Caravan to travel to Disney World in the next year.
Dodge created the competition after a national survey revealed that 25 percent of Americans experience stress on a family road trip related to packing the car. Dodge also partnered with packing and travel expert, Susan Foster, to offer simple tips families can follow to avoid potential road trip disasters.
Foster's tips include using soft-sided bags that are more manageable than rigid rectangular suitcases, deciding where things go based on when they may be needed, and packing the car ahead of time to avoid the stress of leaving later than planned.
Two "Dodge VANtastic Holiday Voyage" challenges were created in conjunction with the launch of the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, a virtual family room on wheels. The second challenge takes place in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Teams residing within a 150 mile radius of Charlotte or Minneapolis entered online and wrote short essays describing how their family travels would be made more enjoyable with the use of a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.
Even though only one family won the grand prize, all teams took home a Dodge prize pack consisting of a travel cooler, water bottles, T-shirts and multiple family games for their own future road trip travels.
Susan Foster's travel tips can be found on www.dodgevantasticholidayvoyage.com.
About the Dodge Grand Caravan
As the first to introduce the modern minivan in 1984 and with more than 12 million minivans sold, Dodge has revolutionized the traditional family road trip. The all-new 2008 Grand Caravan has 35 new or improved features, including the exclusive Swivel 'n Go(TM) seating system, turning the minivan into a "family room on wheels." The vehicle also offers an entertainment system with dual DVD players and SIRIUS Backseat TV(TM) with family programming channels that include Nickelodeon Mobile, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network Mobile.
[1] Methodological Notes:
This national survey was conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of Dodge, using an e-mail invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population of adults 18 years and older.
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