Gary Sinise at Disney World as foundation hosts over 700 families of fallen military members

When award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise greeted over 700 families of fallen military members in a video message at Disney World in Orlando last week, he made sure they knew why they were there.

It's "very important that you know how loved you are," the "Forrest Gump" and "Apollo 13" actor said, "and how appreciated you are, and how grateful we are as a nation for our military families and especially for you, the families of our fallen heroes."

The crowd of more than 1,800 family members, each of whom had lost someone, watched him in the early morning light on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom as part of an all-expense paid, five-day experience at all four Orlando Disney parks.

"We will never forget and we will never take for granted what you go through each day," Sinise said. "None of us really wanna be here for the reasons that we're here today."

Annual 'Disney in December' event honors the fallen, their families

The event comes at the end of a yearlong series of empowerment workshops and regional community events supported by the actor's philanthropic organization, the Gary Sinise Foundation, and its Snowball Express program which supports the surviving spouses, guardians and children of fallen veterans and first responders. At the Disney in December event, family members have access to different workshops and activities where they can spend time together, honor their fallen loved ones, and make "special memories together in a safe, warm, and welcoming environment" during a time when a family's "sense of loss is amplified," according to a release.

On Tuesday at sunrise the families and the fallen were honored with a Walk of Gratitude along Main Street, U.S.A. where they were greeted by more than 1,100 Disney volunteers before a ceremony in front of Cinderella's Castle. There, messages children wrote on scrolls to their lost parents were sent skyward, surrounded by a dazzling fireworks display.

"[The volunteers] don't have to get up that early in the morning and they do it for these beautiful children because they are grateful too just like just like we all are," said Donna Palmer, Executive Director of the Gary Sinise Foundation. "These families mean the world to Gary. He wants them to know that they are cherished and they are loved and they are never forgotten."

"Thank you so much," said Corcynthia Williams of Pennsylvania, who attended with her children Georgia, 14, and Jacklyn, 8. "Thanks for the opportunity to let my kids be kids. And thank you for remembering. and honoring our hero. We love you. It's like the entire country is cheering for us."

“While our hearts are heavy at the circumstances that brought these families together, I am grateful we can wrap our arms around them, that we can honor them while remembering their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom,” Sinise said in a release. “As we approach the holiday season, I am so glad that we are able to bring these deserving families together to create new and wonderful memories at the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World.”

Show your gratiude: 9 ways to honor those who served

It started with a letter and a request

The event began in 2003 when U.S. Army Private First-Class Jesse Givens wrote a letter to his wife before his deployment to Iraq with his love and a list of activities for the family to do, according to the foundation. The Disney parks were one of them. Givens died in service, and his family and the families of other fallen military members visited Disneyland in 2006 to honor his request and his life.

Sinise performed for the families the next year with his band, the Lt. Dan Band, named after the character Sinese portrayed in the movie "Forrest Gump," Lieutenant Dan Taylor. Sinese formed bonds with many servicemen and women over the years thanks to his role of "Lt. Dan" and he formed the band in 2003 to tour the troops at military bases and for charities and fundraisers. In 2011, Sinese combined his individual efforts into the Gary Sinise Foundation.

In 2017 the Gary Sinise Foundation officially took over the Disney event and since 2018 has brought families together for a Disney retreat every year. This year Sinise appeared with the Lt. Dan Band to perform for the families at Epcot.

The Gary Sinise Foundation has chapters in Orlando, Florida and San Diego, California. "Florida is home to the third-largest veteran population in the country," the GSF site says, "with more than 1.5 million retired service members. In Florida, its counties include nearly 1 million veterans."

Editor’s note: The spelling of Mr. Sinise’s name has been corrected.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Disney World, Gary Sinise Foundation host retreat for military familes