Letter From Gary

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I began devoting much of my time supporting the men and women who were deploying in response to those attacks - the brave service members who, each day, protect our cities and defend our great country. Having veterans in my own family, and having been involved with supporting our military veterans going back to the 80's and 90's, it was after that terrible day I decided to become much more active in devoting my time and resources to serving our defenders however and wherever I could.

A few years after 9/11, I visited local NY firehouses, befriended many firefighters, and have supported the FDNY through numerous efforts, including raising funds to build The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, in honor of all 416 first responders and one fire department chaplain, 417 in all, lost on that terrible morning. Through the Disabled American Veterans organization, I found it my mission to do all I could to support our wounded heroes and their families. And by getting involved with many other veterans initiatives, I began to support the children of the fallen, Gold and Blue Star Families, and wherever I could serve and honor a need within the military, veteran and first responder communities.

Over the years, I have met many dedicated people who are also actively working to do the same, and I have tried to do what I can to support their efforts as well as spearhead many projects on my own in support of those who have served and the families who serve alongside them. I’ve traveled to visit our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world, and have also performed with my band (Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band) in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia, Guantanamo Bay, Alaska, Puerto Rico and throughout the U.S. in an effort to help raise funds and boost the morale of our defenders and their families. Through my travels I've seen firsthand our service member’s extraordinary dedication.

My personal mission is what led to the founding of the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, and with the help of supporters like you, we will continue to expand this mission in support of our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders and their loved ones, while upholding the importance of keeping our country strong by taking care of those who serve. 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. While our programs and projects have certainly made a difference in many lives, there’s much more work to be done. I encourage you to browse our website, look into our programs, view the many great videos that show us in action on our YouTube channel, read about some of the heroes and families we have had the privilege to support, and consider making a contribution to help us do even more.

On behalf of all of us here at the Gary Sinise Foundation,

Thank you.
Gary Sinise