A national company's program offering free amusement park tickets to the nation's troops and their families has become so popular it will be extended another year.

Anheuser-Busch began the program, called "Here's to the Heroes," in February 2005. The company had planned to end it early this year, said Fred Jacobs, communications director for Anheuser-Busch adventure parks...

The amusement parks participating in the program include:

• "Sea World" parks in Orlando, Fla., San Diego and San Antonio;
• "Busch Gardens" parks in Tampa, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va.;
• "Sesame Place," a children's play and water park, near Philadelphia;
• "Adventure Island" water park in Tampa; and
• "Water Country USA" water park in Williamsburg.

Jacobs said over 900,000 people took advantage of the program in 2005, and awareness is only growing. He expects a total of 2 million participants by this year's end...