Gary Sinise has really set the bar for all kind, selfless, and overall wholesome charitable acts.
The actor has long stood up for the rights of war veterans and their families and even set up the Gary Sinise Foundation, which serves the needs of veterans, defenders, first responders, their families, and communities.
And now it seems he's getting the recognition he deserves...
Gary Sinise is known for two main things.
His role in Forrest Gump, and his military activism.He's a well known veteran advocate.
And he's now been granted the ultimate honor.And now Sinise has received huge recognition.
In the form of the Humanitarian Award from the Location Managers Guild International.He's been granted the honor due to his ongoing work with military personnel and their families.
And he's due to receive his accolade at the 7th Annual LMGI Awards on October 24th, according to Deadline.The ceremony is set to be held remotely due to COVID.
"The LMGI proudly salutes Gary Sinise. We are humbled to help shine a light on the impact he and his foundation make on our military, veterans, and first responder communities that they serve," their statement reads.Who is Gary Sinise?
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The Illinois-born Sinise is an actor, director, musician, and philanthropist, who has starred in several different blockbuster movies.He has become widely recognized because of his roles...
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Sinise appeared and starred in an array of different movies such as Of Mice and Men, Apollo 13, and The Green Mile.But he is best remembered for his role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump.
Lieutenant Dan, as he became fondly known as, was Forrest's Lieutenant while he was serving in the Vietnam War.
But, like many war veterans...
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Lieutenant Dan was severely injured while serving for his country and tragically lost both his legs. The character subsequently slips into a deep depression and eventually winds up living rough on the streets after returning to the U.S.Sinese's performance was raw, and incredibly moving to watch.
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And his portrayal of the troubled Lieutenant in the landmark film formed an enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community.He also puts his musical abilities to good use...
Honored to play here at The Villages for our nations veterans and defenders! https://t.co/cVn8ciT2Vz— Gary Sinise (@Gary Sinise)1572216279.0
The actor has a background in bass guitar...
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And, in 2003, he gathered his 'jam band' from Chicago and thus formed the Lt. Dan Band. "Everyone was calling me Lt. Dan all the time, so the band's name was obvious," Gary explained.The Lt. Dan Band now performs worldwide.
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With a band motto of "Honor, Gratitude and Rock & Roll", Sinise aims to lift the spirits and boost the morale of the nation's veterans, first responders and the loved ones who sacrifice alongside them.
The Snowball Express has one aim...
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And that's to serving the children, surviving spouses, and guardians of our countries fallen military heroes - The Gold Star Families, as Sinise calls them.The organization wants to help these families with their grief.
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"That's our primary goal," Gary explained, "for our Gold Star families to feel remembered and for them to see that they are not alone. It's something I feel is incredibly important for our nation, letting the children know that we do not forget their sacrifices and we honor them. And it's such a great feeling to see them healing, smiling, and having fun."And, since joining forces with The Gary Sinise Foundation in 2017...
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The Snowball Express was able to gain support from Disney, who offered to relocate their annual 5-day-trip to the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. Thousands of the children of our country's fallen soldiers have been able to experience one of the most magical places on earth.The families were flown to Orlando...
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And were each granted special entry into the park over a 5-day visit.And, to add that extra touch...
We Remember. Each flag representing the fallen hero of over 600 families attending @GarySiniseFound 2018 Snowball… https://t.co/5Phj2r0VAQ— Gary Sinise (@Gary Sinise)1544648637.0
In the past, Sinise has been honored with a Congressional Medal of Honor Society Award!
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He was handed the award in California earlier this year for his help supporting veterans.And the Patriot Award is the highest honor given out by the society.
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It's awarded to the people that have contributed significantly to the military services.Sinise is one of the biggest advocates for the wellbeing of veterans.
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He wanted to help improve the lives of servicemen and women, which motivated him to establish the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2010.This is what his website says...
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"The foundation helps the nation's 'defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need' by 'creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities."Sinise gives his own statement on the website, saying...
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"Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted." "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's defenders, we can always do a little more."Sinise is a good guy through and through.
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He has spoken up about what inspired him to start helping veterans.What a noble cause.
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He admitted that the aftermath of 9/11 made him gain a fierce dedication to helping veterans and their families.This was made clear in his interview with TIME Magazine.
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He said, "Quite frankly, if we hadn't been attacked on September 11, and we didn't deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, and our people didn't start getting hurt and killed, I don't know what I'd be doing right now."