Shining the Star-Light On... #1

Yesterday I told you about my new feature called Shining the Star-light wherein I share with you companies that I know to be supportive of Military Personnel and their families. I want to make this clear -- these are not sponsored posts. I am simply sharing my experiences as a military wife.  That stated, let me share the first company on which I am shining the Star-light.Drum roll, please...The Anhueser-Busch family of amusement parks! This includes Busch Gardens, Sesame Place, and the SeaWorld parks. The crowd goes wild... Whaaah! Whoooo! Yay!At all of these parks, a program called Here's to the Heroes is offered. And what a program it is! Their tag line is Proud to Serve Those Who Serve. Here is the overview from their website:We are proud to salute the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Throughout 2011, members of the military and as many as three direct dependents may enter SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Sesame Place parks with a single-day complimentary admission.For your service and sacrifice, we thank you.Now you may be thinking four free tickets, that's nice. But is it really Star-light worthy? Because I am assuming that you my lovely, loyal readers have already imbued this feature with tremendous weight and value! (Which of course, you should.) And with that weight, you are right to expect that there would be more than free tickets involved -- though free is good. But for my inaugural company, I chose one that did much more than offer a financial benefit.I can only speak from my experience at the San Antonio SeaWorld but the tickets were just the beginning. Near the front, there is an office dedicated to the Heroes. We did not have to stand in the main line and were treated with such graciousness and respect. We were given camouflage "Here's to the Heroes" wrist bands that my kids were so excited to wear. (Of course, they were adult-sized and promptly fell off but that does not lessen the gift.) In fact, more than once, a patron noticed the bracelet and thanked my husband for his service.I think, however, the thing that meant most to me (which has me choked up as I type) is the prelude to the Shamu show. A patriotic video is run and they ask all the service men and women to stand along with their families. Now, I won't lie. The video is pretty corny but I was  so touched by the crowd celebrating my husband and others like him, that it might as well have been produced by Orson Welles.All in all, the tickets, the bracelets, the show made the statement that Anheuser-Busch really appreciated the sacrifice military families make. So thanks, Seaworld. the past couple of years, we have made your park and the Heroes program an annual tradition and we look forward to seeing you again this year!There are eligibility and ID requirements, please check out their site for details. But if you are a military family, I highly recommend checking them out. And because this is as much about the sacrifices families make, you should know that the Service Man or Woman does not need to present for the dependents to attend. So if your loved one is deployed, you can still take advantage of this offer.I will continue to turn the Star-light on companies and sharing my experiences. Help me by sharing your nominations with me. I really believe that companies that commit to supporting those who serve deserve to be recognized!