Why Gary Sinise Honors American Heroes on Independence Day
By Movieguide® Contributor
This Independence Day and every other, actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise honors American heroes.
Sinise previously expressed his gratitude to the men and women who serve our country in honor of the Fourth of July.
“I believe in the men and women who serve our country, I’m thankful for them, I never take my freedom for granted or where it comes from,” he said. “I know it has to be fought for and protected, and that’s done by the people who serve in the military. So having had some success and had the blessing of freedom and being able to do something with that, I wanted to create a foundation that will be able to serve and honor the needs of the folks that serve us and so that’s why I started the Gary Sinise Foundation. I want people to know that they’re appreciated, that I’m grateful for them.”
The Gary Sinise Foundation aims to help American heroes. “At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities,” its website explains.
This week, Sinise’s foundation celebrated its 13th anniversary. He shared his gratitude for the milestone in a heartfelt Instagram post.
“It’s here, folks! Today marks the 13th Anniversary of the @GarySiniseFoundation,” he began. “As we step into our 14th year, I find myself reflecting on the journey so far. Over the years, I’ve had the immense honor of meeting countless heroes from our military and first responder communities. So many of these great Americans have touched my heart, and so many great Americans care about our defenders and want to give back to them.”
He continued, “It is incredible for me to think about where we started and how far we have come. And I haven’t done it alone – you’ve been with me every step of the way. Your support has allowed us to expand our programming to serve, honor, and meet the needs of the brave men and women, and their families who have sacrificed so much for our safety. So many lives have been impacted over the last 13 years, and thanks to generous friends like you, we stand ready to help even more.”
Movieguide® previously reported on why Sinise devotes his life to veterans’ advocacy:
Having spent decades of his life running his foundation, Gary Sinise explained where his desire to serve veterans comes from and why he continues to do so despite trials in his own life.
“As I’ve traveled over the years and gone to the hospitals…I started doing that many, many years ago—going to the war zones, all that stuff through the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War. Seeing broken families dealing with injuries and amputations and burns, and then Gold Star families losing their loved ones and watching them persevere through it,” Sinise told CBN News.
“And then, really seeing what simply showing up to pat somebody on the back and let them know that you appreciate them, and you care about them, and you feel for what they’re going through, seeing what that…can do, just motivated me to keep doing it,” he continued.