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.
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.
‘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.”
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!
