Opinion
The Gary Sinise Foundation, which was launched by the legendary Forrest Gump actor Gary Sinise, stepped up last Saturday to fly some families of fallen military heroes from LAX to Disney World in Florida.
Sinise Flies Military Families To Disney World
CBS News reported that about 80 family members traveled to Orlando for the Snowball Express event from LAX on a donated American Airlines plane that was staffed with a crew of volunteers. Sinise, 68, said that he feels blessed to be able to make this happen for these families who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.
“A lot of families have sacrificed in service to our country and for me to be able to go out there and wrap my arms around them and tell them we don’t forget, and that we appreciate them, that means a lot,” he said.
Many of the families said that this is the only vacation they take all year, and that it gives them the chance to heal. Dala Encinas said that she and her 15-year-old son Jayce have made this trip a few times in the last ten years after the death of her husband.
“It’s like a large family reunion,” Encinas said. “We grew up with a lot of these families … this is the chance where we get to reconnect and just kind of get to laugh and remind each other it’s okay to laugh, but it’s also okay to cry and remember and honor our loved ones.”
Over seven hundred families of fallen military heroes attended the Disney World event this year.
“It’s just a very special way they can have a moment in the middle of all of this to remember their loved one,” Executive Director of the Gary Sinise Foundation Donna Palmer told Click Orlando.
“It’s so important because it gives us an opportunity for us to show them they are not forgotten,” Palmer added. “It gives them that special sacred place to remember, but then they can take that special memory and go into the park.”
Related: Hollywood Star Gary Sinise Explains His Dedication To Helping American Troops Returning Home
Gary Sinise Foundation
Sinise launched this foundation back in 2011, and it supports thousands of families of fallen military heroes year-round through empowerment workshops and regional community events, one of which is this five-day experience at Walt Disney World Resort that takes place every year.
“After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I began devoting much of my time supporting the men and women who were deploying in response to those attacks – the brave service members who, each day, protect our cities and defend our great country,” Sinise said on his foundation website. “
“Having veterans in my own family, and having been involved with supporting our military veterans going back to the 80’s and 90’s, it was after that terrible day I decided to become much more active in devoting my time and resources to serving our defenders however and wherever I could,” he continued.
Related: Celebrities and Veterans, in Touching Video, Thank Gary Sinise for His Incredible Charity Work
‘We Can Always Do A Little More’
“I believe we can never do enough to express our gratitude and give support to the men and women who willingly go into harm’s way to keep us safe and free, but we can always do a little more,” he later added. “While our programs and projects have certainly made a difference in many lives, there’s much more work to be done.”
Find out more about this in the video below.
We’re living in a time when most of the liberals in Hollywood unfortunately ignore the sacrifices made by military heroes and their families. God bless Sinise for stepping up year after year to help the families of military heroes who sacrificed their lives for America!
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