How Gary Sinise Honors Fallen Service Members and Their Families Every Year

Published: January 6, 2025

How Gary Sinise Honors Fallen Service Members and Their Families Every Year

By Movieguide® Contributor

Over 700 families of fallen service members were treated to a five-day trip to Disney World for fun and a chance to connect with other families.

“That’s the heartbeat of everything we do at the Gary Sinise Foundation is just trying to lift these folks up,” Sinise told WKMG News. “You know, they don’t ask much and they give a lot.”

The special event started in 2006 with a fallen soldier’s letter to his wife as a reminder to keep their promise to take their children to Disney World, and with the help of volunteers and donors, she was able to keep that promise.

In 2017, Sinise’s foundation took the Snowball Express under its wing as one of its programs in partnership with Disney and American Airlines that helps fly the families out to Orlando.

“Beyond the fun and memories, Snowball Express helps families of the fallen heal, learn, and build lasting relationships,” reads the foundation’s website.

One event that families partake in is the Walk of Gratitude, where the families write a message honoring lost loved ones. There is also a Remembrance Garden with each flag standing for a fallen hero.

“You can see, you know, what it is to bring so many children together who have all lost a parent, and the healing that happens when they meet other kids and they see that they’re not alone and going through their loss that they’ve suffered,” the FORREST GUMP star said.

One boy who got to connect with other kids with similar stories last year shared his appreciation for the chance to go on the trip, calling Sinise “a really amazing guy.”

“So I would just like to thank Gary Sinise for this wonderful opportunity that he has given all of us to all come together as one big group of people who all are going through the exact same thing, not the exact same thing, but very similar things,” he told fellow passengers on the flight to Disney World. “We all have a relationship with one another in some way. We’re all brothers and sisters.”

Sinise posted a picture on Instagram of some of this year’s group heading to Disney World.

“Always an honor to be with the surviving children and spouses of our fallen military heroes as we welcome them for our big @garysinisefoundation Snowball Express annual event to Disney World,” he posted.

“I know you join me when I say we will never forget their loved ones and we will never forget the sacrifices of these families. God bless you,” he went on to say.

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A post shared by Gary Sinise (@garysiniseofficial)

Along with the Snowball Express Sinise’s foundation has other programs that help vets and their families. H.O.P.E. and R.I.S.E are just two of several. H.O.P.E. is an outreach program that helps veterans and first responders facing injuries and trauma. While R.I.S.E. is an initiative that helps build smart homes that are modified for easier accessibility for injured soldiers.

“I want us to be able to step up and do the right thing whenever and wherever help is needed,” the actor/musician said.