Actor Gary Sinise delivered a <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/mac-tribute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">glowing tribute</a> to his late son, McCanna Anthony &#8220;Mac&#8221; Sinise, nearly two months after he died of chordoma, an extremely rare cancer that attacks the spine.
The &#8220;Forrest Gump&#8221; actor began with Mac&#8217;s decision to join the Gary Sinise Foundation — and how proud he was of his son&#8217;s desire to work with veterans, first responders, and their families. He also mentioned Mac&#8217;s love of music and his talent on the drums, which occasionally put him on the road with Sinise&#8217;s Lt. Dan Band.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A message from Gary. <a href="https://t.co/Bb2ji85bSi">https://t.co/Bb2ji85bSi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jhlrx6q9W9">pic.twitter.com/Jhlrx6q9W9</a>
&mdash; Gary Sinise (@GarySinise) <a href="https://twitter.com/GarySinise/status/1762556676576522699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But just one year after Mac joined the Foundation, both he and his mother Moira Sinise were diagnosed with cancer — her with Stage 3 breast cancer, and him with chordoma — just two months apart.
&#8220;What was happening? What is Chordoma? I had never heard of this. And two cancer patients, mother and son, within two months of each other? A real punch in the gut,&#8221; Sinise wrote, adding that he immediately went into research mode to learn everything that he could. And while Moira went into remission and has been cancer-free ever since, Mac&#8217;s cancer returned and spread.
Despite eventually being paralyzed from the chest down, Mac was able to complete a piece of music he had begun composing in college years earlier, titled &#8220;Arctic Circles,&#8221; with the help of former classmate Oliver Schnee and two Lt. Dan Band members — pianist Ben Lewis and violinist Dan Myers. The piece was finally recorded in July of 2023 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.
&#8220;With music so deep in his heart, unable to play drums now, Mac&#8217;s mother Moira suggested he get a harmonica, which he did, and he started teaching himself how to play. I have a dear friend, Medal of Honor recipient Sammy L. Davis, who plays harmonica and tells a story of learning to play &#8216;Shenandoah&#8217; while in the jungles of Vietnam,&#8221; Sinise continued — and Mac recorded that as well.
&#8220;Both these pieces of music began a collaboration that expanded to a vision Mac had of doing an entire album of music entitled Resurrection &amp; Revival, with a theme of bringing something that was old or unfinished back to life,&#8221; Sinise added.
But sadly, Mac would never see the finished product. &#8220;The week the album went to press, Mac lost his battle with cancer. He died on January 5, 2024 at 3:25pm, and was laid to rest on January 23rd.&#8221;
&#8220;Like any family experiencing such a loss, we are heartbroken and have been managing as best we can. As parents, it is so difficult losing a child,&#8221; Sinise wrote, adding that he had seen a lot of loss over the years, working with the families of fallen heroes. &#8220;It&#8217;s heartbreaking, and it&#8217;s just damn hard.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
He went on to compare his son&#8217;s long battle — more than five years — with a battle scene from the movie &#8220;1917.&#8221;
&#8220;Mac loved movies, and we always told him he reminded us of the soldier at the end of the extraordinary film 1917, running through the battlefield, bombs going off all around him, knocking him down one after the other, yet he keeps getting back up, refusing to quit and keeps running forward.&#8221;
&#8220;Mac was a man who loved his Catholic faith, and there is no doubt that his strong faith sustained him through the awful 5 ½ year battle with this crippling Chordoma cancer,&#8221; Sinise added, sharing a favorite quotation of Mac&#8217;s from St. Augustine: &#8220;You have made us for yourself oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.&#8221;
&#8220;I am so blessed, fortunate, and proud to be his dad,&#8221; he said.

2021 National Memorial Day Concert

‘I Am So Blessed, Fortunate, And Proud’: Gary Sinise Offers Tribute To His Late Son After Cancer Battle

'I Am So Blessed, Fortunate, And Proud': Gary Sinise Offers Tribute To His Late Son After Cancer Battle

Cancer

Celebrities

Gary Sinise

Hollywood

U.S.

Hollywood star Gary Sinise knows being a conservative in Tinseltown isn&#8217;t easy, but acknowledged that he&#8217;s had a great career despite being outspoken about his political beliefs.
During Friday&#8217;s episode of CNN&#8217;s &#8220;Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace?,&#8221; the host asked the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gary-sinise">67-year-old actor</a> about his decision to start the conservative group, Friends of Abe, for right-leaning Hollywood figures in 2004 and not just sticking to acting, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/gary-sinise-conservative-hollywood-political-beliefs-1235312439/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
Sinise, who is best known for his role as Lt. Dan, the wounded veteran in the hit movie &#8220;Forrest Gump,&#8221; said the group started &#8220;during the early days of the Iraq War,&#8221; because he and his friends wanted to make sure soldiers never suffered for their service like Vietnam veterans did.
&#8220;I think so much was motivated by … what happened to our Vietnam veterans and the lack of support that they got and the way they were treated, and then we regretted it later on,&#8221; Sinise said.
&#8220;I didn’t want our Iraq War and Afghanistan veterans to fall prey to any of that kind of stuff,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I just wanted to get in there and support them. So, I started looking for people that were just in the same camp as me on that subject. And I found other folks in the movie and television business who enjoyed getting together.&#8221;
When asked if he thought his Hollywood career could&#8217;ve been bigger if he had just focused on acting, Sinise said he&#8217;s had a &#8220;blessed career&#8221; and that he &#8220;can&#8217;t complain,&#8221; the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/30/gary-sinise-on-how-conservative-views-affected-career-it-played-a-major-role/">New York Post</a> reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Actor Gary Sinise opens up about how the role of Lt. Dan in “Forrest Gump” had an impact on his career. <a href="https://t.co/V7E6mMe6pF">pic.twitter.com/V7E6mMe6pF</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1619895383630413825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;ve had a blessed career in the movie and television and theater business,&#8221; Sinise shared. &#8220;I&#8217;ve done amazing things, I&#8217;ve worked with amazing people, and it really played a major role, if not the key element, in what I&#8217;m doing today on the service side.&#8221;
The star said he got to a point in his career where he could &#8220;pick and choose&#8221; roles that were &#8220;very specifically&#8221; based on the issues that matter to him, like &#8220;giving back and trying to serve our veteran community and our first responder community.&#8221;
In 2011, the &#8220;CSI:NY&#8221; star took his role as Lt. Dan one step further and founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, which offers a variety of programs and services for wounded veterans of all military branches.

DA83B63B-6499-4850-9260-1D42B60D1A82_1_201_a

Gary Sinise Talks About Being A Conservative In Hollywood And How It Affected His Career

conservative

Entertainment

Second Amendment

The Gary Sinise Foundation held its annual &#8220;Snowball Express&#8221; event virtually this year, but still found a way to bring joy to more than 750 Gold Star families and 1,800 children during a star-studded event featuring Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Gordon Ramsay and Simone Biles.
According to the foundation&#8217;s <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/snowball-express/">website</a>, the Snowball Express event &#8220;serves the children and surviving spouse of fallen military heroes. We are committed to programming and support that holds space to honor their fallen heroes while also helping create new memories as they move forward.&#8221;
The foundation was started by Emmy-award-winning actor Gary Sinise and serves military families and veterans.
In a video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA2I8c6I5QM">released</a> after the event held on December 11, Sinise addressed supporters, saying: &#8220;Imagine you&#8217;re a child and you&#8217;ve just been told your parent is never coming home. At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve thousands of the children of our fallen heroes through our Snowball Express program, and on December 11th we brought 1800 of these children together for a virtual online event of healing and joy — and many of my pals sent in messages of support.&#8221;
As <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/gary-sinise-foundation-virtual-snowball-express-celebrities-1235132675/">noted</a> by Variety, those &#8220;pals&#8221; included some of the most famous and lovable people in Hollywood and beyond:
<blockquote>This year’s Snowball Express included special messages from Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Steve Buscemi, Matthew McConaughey, Kristen Bell, Simone Biles, Caeleb Dressel, Jordan Chiles,  Brett Goldstein, Joe Mantegna, Norman Reedus, Tom Kenny, Zachary Levi, Stephen Boss, Allison Holker Boss, Kelli Erdmann, Preston Arsement, Laurie Metcalf, Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Eddie Cahill, Dean Cain, Gary LeVox and Mike Rowe.</blockquote>
Children and families watched several live performances and were able to share messages of support and remembrance about their military loved ones.
<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text">
&#8220;The primary heartbeat of the Gary Sinise Foundation is lifting people up and bringing them joy and support and making sure that they know they&#8217;re appreciated,&#8221; Sinise told recently <a href="https://www.etonline.com/kristen-bell-tom-hanks-and-more-celebs-join-gary-sinise-for-virtual-2021-snowball-express-exclusive">told</a> Entertainment Tonight, &#8220;and that we&#8217;re grateful for them and that we don&#8217;t forget what we&#8217;re going through.&#8221;
The Snowball Express began in 2006 and was started by American Airlines, but joined forces with Sinise&#8217;s foundation in 2017. This year&#8217;s event was virtual due to COVID-19 concerns but in years past <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/airlines-holiday-kids/">American Airlines</a> has flown families to Disney World:
<blockquote>In 2019, the last time the event was held in person, American Airlines and its volunteers coordinated gate-side celebrations in scores of airports and flew more than 1,700 Gold Star family members to Orlando International Airport from 87 cities via chartered and commercial flights. In addition to being able to visit the theme park, while in Orlando families had access to counseling services; application support for educational scholarships; education about and access to medical and government benefits; financial counseling and assistance; mentoring; and aid for those with special needs or disabilities.</blockquote>
The primary mission of the Gary Sinise Foundation is to &#8220;serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need &#8230; by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.&#8221;
&#8220;Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted,&#8221; a quote from Sinise reads on the website. &#8220;We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation&#8217;s defenders, we can always do a little more.&#8221;
Video of the Snowball Express event can be seen here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VA2I8c6I5QM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="css-issjf2">
<div></div>
</div>

GarySinise

Gary Sinise Foundation Brings Joy To More Than 750 Gold Star Military Families In Annual ‘Snowball Express’ Event

Gold Star

The Gary Sinise Foundation is celebrating its ten year anniversary, marking a time filled with helping first responders, military service members, and their families.
The group’s website <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/blog/2021-06-30-gary-sinise-foundation-celebrates-10-years-of-service/">noted</a> its achievements over the last decade, writing, “We have been fortunate enough to grow the Gary Sinise Foundation into one of the country&#8217;s top-rated military, veteran, and first responder support organizations.”
Over the years, the foundation has launched events, trips, and even created a center to facilitate conversations. The group has helped military service members, veterans, and their families feel supported and encouraged as they carry out their missions. “The support of our mission and efforts to serve our nation’s heroes and their loved ones has made it possible for us to continue to positively impact the lives of so many,” the site added.
In 2011, award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise announced the start of the Gary Sinise Foundation. “Gary’s lifelong work supporting our nation’s heroes began in the early ‘80s with his creation of the Steppenwolf Theatre, where he supported Vietnam veterans in Chicago and continued in the ‘90s when his portrayal of Lt. Dan formed an enduring connection with service members across the country,” the foundation stated. “Gary’s dedication to our nation’s active-duty service members, veterans, first responders, and their families inspired him to launch the Gary Sinise Foundation,” it added.
Over the past several years, Gary and the foundation held several events honoring military service members. Gary notably did so in Hollywood and the entertainment world, an environment where traditional American values and military service are not always applauded. In 2014, Gary and the foundation “rolled out the red carpet for wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and their guests from across the country for ‘Hollywood Salutes Heroes’ — a multiday celebration and expression of thanks to those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.” Among other activities, guests were surprised by Gary, other celebrities, and over 100 local veterans on the Paramount lot.
The Gary Sinise Foundation also &#8220;put together a multi-day ‘Hollywood Adventure’ from October 12-14, 2016, to pay tribute to surviving spouses of fallen service members.” For the three-day trip, 23 spouses from all over the nation came to Los Angeles for the event. “For the Gold Star spouses who attend ‘Hollywood Adventure’ each year, sharing their experiences and reminding one another they are not alone, helps them find joy in the present once again,” the foundation noted.
In 2017, the foundation opened its Education and Outreach Center, a place that “brings civilians and defenders together for constructive dialogues and inspiring events.” The center has speaker series, summits, and workshop events that leave “visitors with a new respect for our defenders, raise awareness about the heroes living among them, and focus on educating communities about the importance of service over self.”
The year of 2020 saw changes for the foundation as it responded to the coronavirus pandemic. The foundation started its “Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service campaign in April 2020,” delivering over 60,000 meals to 313 locations in the United States and other countries. The foundation also helped first responder groups who needed personal protective equipment and financially aided “service members, veterans, first responders, healthcare professionals, and their families.” In all, the foundation’s campaign gave “over $485,000 in grants to 64 first responder departments nationwide and more than $500,000 in financial aid distributed to those in need.” The group also started its first Gary Sinise Foundation chapter in Central Florida last year in order to help people on a regional level.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-gary-sinise-launches-new-initiative-with-home-depot-founders">reported</a> in February, the foundation began a whole new initiative with The Home Depot co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. The new initiative will offer care to veterans and first responders who suffer “from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse.”
&#8220;As reported by <a href="https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/blank-marcus-and-lt-dan-to-aid-veterans/">The Atlanta Jewish Times</a>, both of Sinise’s new partners are donating $20 million from their personal foundations in order to provide support to the <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/avalon-network/">Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network</a>. The program will add onto the work that has been completed by the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Healing Heroes) program,&#8221; The Daily Wire reported.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYEqHKdmChY&amp;feature=youtu.be">video</a> announcing the network earlier this year, Sinise discussed the “epidemic of invisible wounds” that veterans and first responders experience. He added that these “invisible wounds” have “visible manifestations like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse which affect not only the veterans and first responders themselves, but their families, as well…these invisible wounds too often can lead to suicide.”
In keeping with his foundation&#8217;s mission, Sinise has said, &#8220;While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation&#8217;s defenders, we can always do a little more.&#8221;
Donate to the foundation&#8217;s 10th anniversary campaign <a href="https://donate.garysinisefoundation.org/campaign/10th-anniversary/c343922">here</a>.
Watch the 10-year anniversary video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF2hGQFclQc">below</a>:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Gary Sinise Foundation Celebrates a Decade of Service" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OF2hGQFclQc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

WATCH: Gary Sinise Foundation Celebrates 10 Years Of Service

Veterans

The Gary Sinise Foundation is starting a whole new initiative with The Home Depot co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. The new initiative will offer care to veterans and first responders who suffer &#8220;from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse.&#8221;
As reported by <a href="https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/blank-marcus-and-lt-dan-to-aid-veterans/">The Atlanta Jewish Times</a>, both of Sinise&#8217;s new partners are donating $20 million from their personal foundations in order to provide support to the <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/avalon-network/">Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network</a>. The program will add onto the work that has been completed by the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Healing Heroes) program.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYEqHKdmChY&amp;feature=youtu.be">video</a> announcing the network, Sinise discussed the &#8220;epidemic of invisible wounds&#8221; that veterans and first responders experience. He added that these &#8220;invisible wounds&#8221; have &#8220;visible manifestations like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse which affect not only the veterans and first responders themselves, but their families, as well&#8230;these invisible wounds too often can lead to suicide.&#8221;
The new initiative is part of the &#8220;relief and resiliency program.&#8221; Sinise explains that the program will leverage &#8220;the science of post-traumatic growth, a framework that explains the positive transformation that can occur following trauma.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Gary Sinise Announces Launch of the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BYEqHKdmChY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The program will create twenty sites across the country to &#8220;serve veterans, first responders and their families,&#8221; The Atlanta Jewish Times notes. The name of the foundation <a href="https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/blank-marcus-and-lt-dan-to-aid-veterans/">reportedly</a> incorporates the name Avalon as a reference to the island where King Arthur was taken in order to recover after his final battle.
In the announcement video, Sinise adds, &#8220;This was always my intention, my mission from the beginning — to always do a little more to be there for our nation&#8217;s defenders in their time of need.&#8221;
The Veterans Administration says that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq resulted in a larger percentage of traumatic brain injuries than previous conflicts. The Atlanta Jewish Times reports that the U.S. Defense Department has estimated that 22% of all combat wounds from those specific conflicts are brain injuries, which is 10% more than the Vietnam War.
The new initiative will mark the first time that Blank and Marcus have partnered together since co-founding The Home Depot. “Arthur and I, together at Home Depot, we recognized how important the military was to us,” said Marcus.
Marcus served in the Air National Guard for four years during the period of the Korean War in the early 1950s. “I appreciate the military,” he said. “These young people have put their lives on the line and, frankly, when they leave the service, they’re not getting the support they need.”
This is not the first time Sinise’s foundation has partnered with the Marcus and Home Depot foundations. They previously joined forces to build smart homes for wounded vets.
One of the twenty centers included in the network will be the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in Colorado, which cares for veterans and retired athletes that have &#8220;mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (including concussion) and changes in psychological health.&#8221; The SHARE Military Initiative in Atlanta will also be among the centers working with the program.
In February 2019, Gary Sinise joined Ben Shapiro for an episode of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/sunday-special">The Ben Shapiro Show Sunday Special</a> to &#8220;discuss his road to Hollywood success, how he&#8217;s stayed grounded through it all, and his passion for supporting our troops, veterans, and their families.&#8221;

Celebrities Visit Build – March 22, 2018

WATCH: Gary Sinise Launches New Initiative With Home Depot Founders

First Responders

Mental Health

Military

The annual National Memorial Day Concert on PBS will take place on May 24, the Sunday before Memorial Day, albeit with some changes because of the coronavirus.
Actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise will host the program to honor military members who died in the line of duty. The program will feature at least a dozen other well-known figures, such as Gen. Colin Powell and gospel singer CeCe Winans, and music by the National Symphony Orchestra.
“We&#8217;re excited to announce our 2020 Memorial Day show, airing on Sunday, May 24, 2020, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T.,” the event organizers announced last month. “Due to coronavirus, we will not host the show from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The show will air on PBS and the Armed Forces Network and will be live streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and our website.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Due to coronavirus, we will not host the show from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The show will air on PBS and the Armed Forces Network and will be live streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and our website.
&mdash; National Memorial Day Concert (@MemorialDayPBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MemorialDayPBS/status/1255921927530692608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The concert, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, has taken place every year since 1989.
“The concert unites the country in remembrance and appreciation of those who gave their lives for our nation and serves those who are grieving through the mission put forward by Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address, ‘Let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation&#8217;s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan,’” the concert’s <a href="https://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/about/the-concert/">page</a> on PBS’s website says.
Sinise is a staunch advocate for military members, veterans, first responders, and their families. His Gary Sinise Foundation, founded in 2011, has built dozens of special smart homes for wounded veterans, distributed hundreds of grants to military and first responder organizations, and most recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-gary-sinise-launches-emergency-covid-19-combat-service-to-help-first-responders-healthcare-professionals">delivered</a> thousands of units of protective equipment to healthcare workers combating the coronavirus.
“With the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across the nation, the Gary Sinise Foundation has launched a dedicated campaign called, Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service, which addresses the needs and priorities of those it is entrusted by the American people to serve and honor, with the addition of healthcare professionals,” the foundation announced last month.
“During this public health crisis, Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service will be the gateway for providing grants to first responders in need of personal protective equipment when answering COVID-19 service calls,” the foundation said. “Financial assistance is also available to healthcare professionals, service members, veterans, first responders, and their families who have been impacted by the novel coronavirus.”
Last year, Sinise celebrated a quarter of a century advocating for injured veterans with the non-profit Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He first partnered with DAV after the group gave him an award for his performance as Lt. Dan in the 1994 film Forrest Gump.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/actor-gary-sinise-celebrates-25-years-veterans-eric-quintanar">The Daily Wire</a> reported at the time: “In 2003, as part of his calling to help veterans, Sinise started a rock cover band called the ‘Lt. Dan Band.’ Through performances on military bases around the globe, Sinise hopes to let veterans and active-duty military members know that ‘there are people out there who are aware of, and who understand the importance of keeping our military families strong in difficult times,’ according to an open-letter on the band’s website.”

2018 National Memorial Day Concert

Star-Studded National Memorial Day Concert Will Continue Despite The Coronavirus

Actor and musician Gary Sinise and his foundation have launched a new initiative in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis: the &#8220;<a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/emergency-covid-19-combat-service/">Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service</a>,&#8221; which is doing its part to meet the needs of first responders and healthcare professionals. Since launching just a few weeks ago, the campaign has provided over 4,700 pieces of personal protective equipment, assisted nearly 50 first responder departments and provided over $200,000 in total grants to those on the front lines of the effort to combat COVID-19.
&#8220;With the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across the nation, the Gary Sinise Foundation has launched a dedicated campaign called, Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service, which addresses the needs and priorities of those it is entrusted by the American people to serve and honor, with the addition of healthcare professionals,&#8221; a press release published on the foundation&#8217;s website reads.
&#8220;During this public health crisis, Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service will be the gateway for providing grants to first responders in need of personal protective equipment when answering COVID-19 service calls,&#8221; the foundation states. &#8220;Financial assistance is also available to healthcare professionals, service members, veterans, first responders, and their families who have been impacted by the novel coronavirus.&#8221;
In a video posted on YouTube on April 1, Sinise announced the new COVID-19 campaign:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Gary Sinise Addresses COVID-19 Campaign Supporting America&#039;s Heroes and Their Families" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZA-S01xWpA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;Since announcing the availability of First Responder grants on March 9, the Foundation has made strides in reaching departments in need of personal protective equipment and essential gear utilized in the fight against COVID-19,&#8221; the release reads. Thus far in its effort to fight the pandemic, the campaign has contributed 4,722 pieces of personal protective equipment, assisted 47 first responder departments across the nation, assisted 21 states, and provided $208,930 in grants.
The <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/mission/">mission</a> of the Gary Sinise Foundation, which the actor founded in 2011, is to serve the nation &#8220;by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need&#8221; by &#8220;creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.&#8221;
&#8220;Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted,&#8221; said Sinise. &#8220;We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation&#8217;s defenders, we can always do a little more.&#8221;
Below are some of the <a href="https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/by-the-numbers/">contributions</a> the popular actor&#8217;s foundation has made to the nation&#8217;s defenders over the years:
<ul>
<li>61 specially adapted smart homes complete for severely wounded veterans</li>
<li>197,313+ meals served to the nation’s defenders</li>
<li>102,400+ people have attended the organization’s Invincible Spirit Festivals since 2012</li>
<li>233 emergency relief grants awarded to police, firefighters, and EMTs</li>
<li>445 essential pieces of equipment donated to first responders</li>
<li>1,135 first responder training grants</li>
<li>20 homes modified for defenders</li>
<li>16 adapted vehicles</li>
<li>17 mobility devices for veterans</li>
<li>5,250+ children of fallen military heroes and their surviving parent or guardian have joined the organization’s Snowball Express since 2018</li>
<li>488+ support concerts since 2003 in which Gary has performed, of which 273 were performed since the Gary Sinise Foundation began</li>
</ul>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dan-crenshaw-dismantles-wapo-writers-attempt-to-rewrite-history-on-trumps-coronavirus-response">Dan Crenshaw Dismantles WaPo Writer’s Attempt To ‘Rewrite History’ On Trump’s Coronavirus Response</a>

Menu