Latest news with #GarySiniseFoundation
CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
Chicago area World War II veterans board special flight to New Orleans to visit National WWII Museum
A group of Chicago-area veterans traveled to New Orleans Wednesday to see for themselves a museum built in their honor. The Gary Sinise Foundation and American Airlines make these trips happen four times a year. The latest trip's veterans received a big sendoff at O'Hare International Airport. People at O'Hare are always on the move. But travelers stop when there is a parade with bagpipers in the terminal — as there was for the veterans. "I think it's amazing," one woman said. "We should always celebrate our veterans." Eleven veterans from the Chicago area met at the same gate. Outside, there was a plane reserved for men who served in World War II. One of the veterans was 99-year-old John Rickerd, who was 17 when he enlisted as a U.S. Marine. "It brings back an awful lot of memories," Rickerd said. Rickerd eventually shared those memories with his son, Mark. "Did a tour of duty in the Pacific, and ended up climbing Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima — hence my hero," Mark Rickerd said of his father. "And I often think of all the men we left behind," added John Rickerd. "I mean the real, I think, number one heroes are those men who didn't come back." Thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation and American Airlines, vets who served together traveled for free. "A very special trip where we will take World War II veterans, pair them up with high school students, and take them to the World War II Museum in New Orleans," said Randy Stillinger, manager of military and veterans' initiatives for American Airlines. John Rickerd said he was looking forward to visiting the National WWII Museum, which he called "so beautiful." The three-day trip to New Orleans will also be an opportunity to make connections. "The ability for him to develop camaraderie with his peers, his World War II veteran peers, it's hard to describe," said Mark Rickerd. As the members of the Greatest Generation boarded the flight and left their gate behind, it spoke volumes that they traveled with gratitude. "It's so exciting to be here and be a part of this," said John Rickerd.
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
GREAT AMERICANS: Gary Sinise, Actor, Author, Musician, and Founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation
On today's edition of the Guy Benson Show and Fox News Audio's Great Americans series, Gary Sinise, actor, author, musician & founder of Gary Sinise Foundation joined the program. Sinise's stage, film and television career has spanned more than four decades. In 1974, at 18 years old, he co-founded Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 20 years later, for his performance as Lt Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump, he received nominations for Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards, and earned the Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Board of Review and the Commander's Award from the Disabled American Veterans. Other film credits include Apollo 13, Ransom, Snake Eyes, Impostor, The Green Mile, Mission to Mars and The Human Stain. For over 40 years, Gary has stood as an advocate on behalf of America's service members. In 2003, after several USO handshake tours, he formed the 'Lt. Dan Band' and began entertaining troops serving at home and abroad. Over the years, the 13-piece cover band has performed hundreds of shows for charities and fundraisers supporting wounded heroes, Gold Star families, veterans and troops around the world. In 2011, to expand upon his individual efforts, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation with the mission to serve and honor America's defenders, veterans, first responders, Gold Star families and those in need. The foundation remains committed to finding new and exciting ways to give back to those who sacrifice for our nation and encouraging others to do the same has become his personal quest and what he hopes will endure as a legacy of service to others. In 2008, he was given the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. He is only the third actor ever to receive this honor. Listen to Guy's full interview with Gary Sinise below! Listen to the full interview below: Listen to more from the Guy Benson Show below:
Associated Press
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Chase Plastics Concludes Inaugural Veteran Giving Campaign
'We are truly moved by the overwhelming response from our customers and suppliers who submitted so many thoughtful nominations'— Kevin Chase, Chase Plastics CEO CLARKSTON, MI, UNITED STATES, July 3, 2025 / / -- After four weeks of overwhelming participation from customers and suppliers, Chase Plastics is proud to announce the recipients of its first-ever Veteran Giving Campaign. The campaign, which ran from May 23 through June 20, was created to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation's heroes. As part of the campaign, three veteran-focused charities will each receive a $2,500 donation, helping further their missions of serving veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. The winners are being announced just ahead of Independence Day, as a fitting tribute to those who have served our country. The recipients of $2,500 donations through the 2025 Chase Plastics Veteran Giving Campaign are: - Disabled American Veterans (DAV) – A non-profit organization that empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity by providing free assistance with benefit claims, transportation to medical appointments, and employment resources. - Gary Sinise Foundation – Founded by actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise, the foundation honors defenders, veterans, first responders, and their families through programs that build specially adapted smart homes, support mental wellness, and provide relief and resources for wounded heroes. - Hero Pups – A nonprofit dedicated to pairing specially trained service dogs with veterans and first responders dealing with service-related challenges, including PTSD and anxiety. 'We are truly moved by the overwhelming response from our customers and suppliers who submitted so many thoughtful nominations,' said Chase Plastics CEO, Kevin Chase. 'It's a testament to the strong sense of community and shared commitment to honoring those who have served our country. Supporting the brave men and women who protect our freedoms is deeply personal to us, and we are honored to contribute to organizations that make a meaningful impact in the lives of veterans and their families.' The Chase Plastics Veteran Giving Campaign was introduced in 2025 to complement the company's longstanding Chase Giving Card holiday campaign, which has supported dozens of charitable organizations since its inception ten years ago. Learn more by going to Sherry Cudd Chase Plastics Services, Inc. +1 248-620-8333 [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Epoch Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Gary Sinise Opens Up About Leaving Hollywood, Son's Legacy, and His Mission to Serve Veterans
Gary Sinise, known for playing Lieutenant Dan in 'Forrest Gump,' shifted his focus from Hollywood to family and service almost exclusively following his son's cancer diagnosis six years ago. In a recent EpochTV 'American Thought Leaders' Stepping Away From Acting to Focus on Family Sinise's decision to step away from acting was driven by personal hardship. In late 2019, as his son Mac's health declined due to a rare spinal cancer, Sinise wrapped up his last acting jobs, including roles in 'Joe Bell,' 'I Still Believe,' and the series '13 Reasons Why.' 'Leaving home was getting harder and harder as Mac was getting more and more challenged with things,' Sinise said. By December 2019, he finished his acting commitments and began focusing entirely on his family and the Gary Sinise Foundation. Mac, a talented musician and foundation staffer, battled chordoma for nearly six years. Despite his condition, he completed an album, 'Resurrection & Revival,' in 2023. 'He celebrated his 33rd birthday in the recording studio, recording an album in 2023 that he envisioned doing, and he was very disabled by this awful, rare cancer that took his life,' Sinise said. Mac's music continues to support the foundation's mission, with proceeds from album sales benefiting veterans and first responders. Sinise's wife, Moira, also faced health challenges, undergoing multiple surgeries for stage 3 breast cancer. 'A month before Mac was diagnosed with cancer, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. That was a hard summer—the 2018 summer. I had two cancer patients, you know, to care for, and that was tough,' Sinise recalled. Related Stories 11/15/2024 11/16/2020 Moira is now cancer-free, but the experience deepened Sinise's resolve to prioritize family and service. A Life of Service Inspired by Family and History Sinise's commitment to veterans began decades before his Hollywood fame. Influenced by Vietnam veterans in his wife's family and his own relatives who served in earlier wars, Sinise became aware of the challenges faced by veterans returning home. 'I started to feel very guilty and badly for what happened to them, you know, when they served in Vietnam and came home. So I wanted to try to do something back in the early 80s and in Chicago,' Sinise said. This led to his involvement in the play 'Tracers,' written and performed by Vietnam veterans. The experience opened his eyes to the struggles of veterans and inspired his ongoing support. Playing Lieutenant Dan in 'Forrest Gump' further deepened his connection to the veteran community. 'There's no question it played a greater role in my life than just a part in a movie,' he said. 'I very much wanted to honor our Vietnam veterans by doing a good job, you know, just playing a Vietnam veteran and in a way that they would feel was honorable and true and truthful.' The Gary Sinise Foundation: Supporting Veterans and First Responders Founded in 2011, the Gary Sinise Foundation supports veterans, first responders, and their families through a range of programs. 'We are here to support all those who serve and defend us on the military side—our veterans, our families that serve alongside them, our first responders, the families that serve alongside them, families of our fallen heroes and first responders—we have a role to play in supporting there,' Sinise said. Key initiatives include: Lieutenant Dan Band: Sinise's band has performed nearly 600 free concerts at military bases and hospitals worldwide over the last 20 years. RISE Program: Builds specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans. 'We just gave away our 95th house since I've been involved in this,' Sinise said. First Responder Outreach: Provides support for first responders, including vehicles for those in need and memorials like the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, honoring those lost on Sept. 11. Snowball Express: Brings children and surviving spouses of fallen military and first responder heroes to Disney World for healing and community. 'Every year, we take over 1,000 kids and the surviving spouse of military heroes to Disney World,' Sinise said. 'And then a couple of years ago, we started adding families of fallen first responders.' A Philosophy of Service and Healing Sinise believes that service is a powerful way to heal personal pain and strengthen communities. 'Service. I always say this is a great healer for a broken heart, and it helped me a lot through our fight for our son and the difficulties and the challenges of fighting for him and then losing him,' he said, adding that he didn't stop doing service work during that time. 'It was the thing that was helping me with our own battle at home,' he said. From NTD News
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Gary Sinise's Late Son Scores Multiple Top 10 Bestselling Albums
Gary Sinise honors his late son Mac by promoting his music, which now claims two top 10 spots on ... More iTunes with Resurrection and Revival and its sequel. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 08: Actor Gary Sinise attends the premiere of Cinedigm Entertainment Group's "SGT. Will Gardner" at ArcLight Hollywood on January 08, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by) Gary Sinise stepped away from the acting portion of his life half a decade ago, but he hasn't been relaxing ever since. He walked away from TV and film to help care for several family members who became seriously ill at the same time, putting his love for them over his hugely successful career. His wife, Moira, was battling breast cancer, while their son, Mac, was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare bone cancer that affects the spine. While Moira beat her disease, Mac sadly passed away in early 2024. Now, more than a year after that tragedy, his father wants to ensure that the art his musician child left behind is heard by a wide audience — and it seems that his efforts are working. Gary Sinise took part in a People magazine feature in which he opened up about the struggles his family has faced, the passing of his son Mac, but, more importantly, the music he made during his lifetime. Mac worked for Sinise's nonprofit the Gary Sinise Foundation, where he created music for various promotional videos. He also composed his own music under his own name, but didn't have a chance to properly share it with the world before he passed – but not his father is working to rectify that. Mac Sinise currently claims two of the top 10 bestselling albums in America on iTunes. The musician soars more than 100 spots to No. 6 with Resurrection and Revival. Just a few spots below sits its sequel, Resurrection and Revival Part 2, which debuts at No. 9. Both versions of Resurrection and Revival were actually released in 2024, but they have only now become bestsellers – seemingly thanks to the People story, which means that Gary's efforts have been successful in getting the world to hear his son's music. Mac Sinise's performance on iTunes is especially notable, as his albums surge during a competitive week for new releases in the U.S. He appears inside the top 10 on the list of top-selling projects alongside superstar names like Morgan Wallen, Sleep Token, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, as well as two versions of BTS star Jin's latest solo EP, Echo.
