From staff reports

Free movies, discounted memberships and admissions to attractions, and special daily offers are part of enhanced membership packages announced today by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness announced several enhancements for its members, including free movies at West Mall 7.

New and existing memberships, including those with only fitness center access and those with unlimited golf, will be upgraded to GreatLIFE Plus memberships.

The extra benefits include:

• Unlimited free movies, all day, every day, at West Mall 7 Theatres.
• Free bowling at GreatLIFE Suburban Lanes and half-price golf simulators on weekends from April through October.
• Discounted annual membership and daily admission at the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History, and half-price admission on Mondays.
• Discounted annual and daily admission at the Butterfly House & Aquarium, and half-price admission on Tuesdays.
• Discounted admission at SkyZone Trampoline Park and half-price jumping on Tuesdays.

• Two admissions for the price of one at Skate City on Wednesdays.
• Discounted tickets for the Sioux Falls Canaries and free admission on Wednesdays.
• Free golf at Hidden Valley and Rocky Run golf courses on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Promotions at Thunder Road, including $20 two-hour wristbands, a free ride and $2.50 miniature golf daily and two free rides on Thursdays.
• Promotions at Wild Water West including 25 percent off annual passes and half-price wristbands on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.

Along with the new benefits, GreatLIFE is offering new annual members 13 months for the price of 12 and dropping its initiation fee from $50 to $25, with the money going to the GreatLIFE Cares Foundation.

“It’s going to be one of those game-changers,” GreatLIFE CEO Tom Walsh Sr. said. “When they realize this is all part of the membership, and there’s no additional charge, it’s going to be, ‘Holy cow.’ ”

The partnerships make sense to the participating businesses, which will generate revenue through food and beverage sales and other add-ons from visitors, Walsh said.

For GreatLIFE, it was a way to offer more benefits while staying true to the mission of bringing families together, he added.

“If there isn’t something to bring families together and get kids and parents and even couples to do things together, the world is going to be a lot worse off,” he said. “And the big thing is it’s fun.”

Free rides at Thunder Road are included with GreatLIFE Plus memberships.

The GreatLIFE Plus benefits are extended to all adult members and to children through family memberships.

“We think there will be a lot of upgrades to family memberships,” Walsh said.

He also isn’t ruling out adding more member benefits through other partnerships.

“There are no rules,” he said. “As long as you’re doing something to positively impact families, let’s take a look at it.”

The Butterfly House is pleased about the benefit to families.

“The Butterfly House & Aquarium is a great place for families during all seasons, and this really falls in line with the GreatLIFE mission,” said Audrey Willard, CEO of the attraction at Sertoma Park.

The Great Plains Zoo sees the effort as a great partnership.

“We have worked with Thomas Walsh and his team in the past with other zoo initiatives, and this is a great way to benefit the people of Sioux Falls and GreatLIFE,” said Elizabeth Whealy, president and CEO of the zoo.