Gary Sinise is among the celebrities who use their fame and wealth to help those in need.
The famous actor and musician is widely recognized for his roles in Forrest Gump, The Green Mile and Apollo 13, but his philanthropic work is something he is greatly appreciated as well.
He played Lieutenant Dan in the movie Forrest Gump and now works hard to honor and help US military veterans.
He has established the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that serves the needs of veterans, defenders, first responders, their families, and communities.
As well as raising money, the foundation also aims to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build the communities impacted by the impacts of war.
Sinise said:
“While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.”One of the foundation’s programs, launched in 2017, is called the “Snowball Express” and its honor fallen US soldiers by taking their children on free trips to one of the most magical places on earth–Disney world!
At the event in honor of their fallen relatives, the kids and their surviving parents received “we remember” pins.
600 flags were lined up to represent all their loved ones lost in combat.
Sinise explained:
“The most important thing about [Snowball Express] is that these children don’t feel alone. There’s a lot of healing and a lot of bonding and a lot of friendship that goes on that helps them through the rest of the year.”In 2003, he gathered his ‘jam band’ from Chicago and formed the Lt. Dan Band. The band’s motto is “Honor, Gratitude and Rock & Roll”, and Sinise aims to lift the spirits and boost the morale of the nation’s veterans, first responders and the families who sacrifice alongside them.
He explained:
“That’s our primary goal, for our Gold Star families to feel remembered and for them to see that they are not alone. It’s something I feel is incredibly important for our nation, letting the children know that we do not forget their sacrifices and we honor them. And it’s such a great feeling to see them healing, smiling, and having fun.”Undoubtedly, although we cannot bring our lost heroes back, we should all try to fulfill the space of their families as much as possible, so Gray’s should definitely be appreciated.
