02/04/2005
Anheuser-Busch Honors U.S. Troops With Heroes Salute
St. Louis (Feb. 3, 2005) - Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. today announced its "Heroes Salute" to honor the U.S. Armed Services by offering free single-day admission to its SeaWorld or Busch Gardens parks to active duty military, active reservists, U.S. Coast Guard, National Guardsmen and as many as three direct dependents beginning Feb. 7 through Dec. 31, 2005. In addition, Anheuser-Busch will air a 60-second "salute" television ad during the broadcast of the Super Bowl to honor those who serve our country.
Heroes Salute will be officially introduced to the military on Feb. 6 in conjunction with a special Anheuser-Busch viewing party for Sunday's big game at Ft. Bragg, N.C., home of the XVIII CAPITAL AIRBORNE CORPS and U.S. ARMY Special Operations Command. Pre-game activities include appearances by the world-famous Clydesdales, exotic animals and shows from Busch Gardens and SeaWorld parks with Julie Scardina, the Jacksonville Jaguar Cheerleaders, live music by Blues Traveler and game-day food and beverages compliments of Anheuser-Busch. Guests will also be treated to a special "sneak preview" presentation of Anheuser-Busch's advertising for Super Sunday's championship match up.
"In our own small way, we're giving something back to the brave men and women and their families who make sacrifices every day for our country," said August A. Busch IV, president, Anheuser-Busch Inc. "As a salute to America's heroes, we wish to extend a message of thanks and an invitation."
Any active duty, active reserve, ready reserve service member or National Guard is entitled to free admission under the program. He or she need only register, either online at www.herosalute.com or in the entrance plaza of participating parks, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. As many as three direct dependents of military personnel also are entitled to free admission. Dependents may take advantage of the offer without their service member, though an adult must accompany minor dependents.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg and SeaWorld San Antonio are seasonal operations that will remain closed until spring 2005. Military personnel interested in visiting those parks should check operating schedules at www.herosalute.com. The remaining parks, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld San Diego are open year round.
Anheuser-Busch has previously honored U.S. armed forces with free admission to its theme parks. Nearly 2 million service members and their families visited free during Yellow Ribbon Summer following the first Gulf War and during the Anheuser-Busch Salute to America's Heroes, a post-9/11 tribute that included all branches of the U.S. military.
In addition, last year Anheuser-Busch donated $1 million to create the Intrepid/Anheuser-Busch Fallen Heroes Fund to provide scholarships to spouses and children of U.S. military and coalition personnel killed during the war in Iraq.
Anheuser-Busch has supported the U.S. armed services for nearly 150 years. In 1921, Adolphus Busch's widow, Lilly, opened the Busch family garden to the public, donating admission fees to disabled veterans.
The company also supports veterans' memorials in Washington, the Korean Memorial and the Vietnam Wall. The company also provides scholarship funds for USO members and Desert Storm survivors.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. is the leading U.S. brewer and holds a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. In a survey of 10,000 business leaders and securities analysts, Anheuser-Busch ranked first overall in quality of products and services among nearly 600 companies researched in FORTUNE magazine's 2004 "America's Most Admired Companies" listing. The company also is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers. For more information, visit
www.anheuser-busch.com.