Actor Gary Sinise comes across as a good man in general. He is an excellent
actor who is usually kind in interviews. It also comes out that he is really
philanthropic.
Don't trust us? Well, a program run by the Gary Sinise Foundation recently
gave more than 1,700 Gold Star families to a vacation to Disney World.
The "Snowball Express" tour saw the spouses and children of dead troops
crammed aboard 15 aircraft and flown to Orlando, Florida, for a five-day
all-expenses-paid holiday.
The family received their own send-off at the Chicago airport, with
cheerleaders encouraging them in festive attire.
Santa and Mrs. Claus met the youngsters in Los Angeles, where they came by
helicopter and presented them with presents and picture ops.
However, the traveling party received possibly the greatest excitement in
Nashville. The throng was treated to a performance of the Star-Spangled
Banner as the airport itself came to a complete stop.
"Each kid traveling on these flights has lost a parent while serving in the
military, sometimes due to suicide, other times to disease or battle. We
want to look after these children and let them know we are thinking about
them.
"Most people in the crowd, including me, started crying when they saw the
children and wives of those who had sacrificed so much for our nation. It
was sohumbling to witness all of this at Christmastime, Tringale said in her
article.
Snowball Express was taken over by the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2017,
however the actor has been a longtime supporter of the initiative.
The fact that these kids don't feel alone is the most significant aspect of
[Snowball Express]. According to Sinise, who spoke to CBS Los Angeles,
"There's a lot of healing, a lot of connecting, and a lot of camaraderie
that goes on that gets them through the rest of the year."
Currently 64 years old, Sinise has long advocated for veteran's rights. He
has volunteered for USO tours, assisted in the construction of homes for
injured soldiers, and he still speaks out in favor of the cause.
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