Memorial Day 2021

Watch This Special Memorial Day Message from Gary Sinise

This Memorial Day, the Gary Sinise Foundation joins Americans nationwide to honor and remember the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. On this day we are reminded of the personal sacrifice U.S. service members made when they took the solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Since our inception in 2011, honoring and serving those who defend our nation’s freedoms has been one of the driving principles of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s mission. Through initiatives like Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express and H.O.P.E., we are able to support the families of our fallen military heroes year-round. The passion and dedication of our Founder and Chairman, Gary Sinise, laid the groundwork of service and commitment to our nation's defenders that we carry out through our mission today. His message of gratitude and thanks to service members, veterans, and their families, has inspired many grateful Americans to support our heroes.

Take a moment to watch the video above featuring a very special Memorial Day message from Gary and read the following stories to see how the Gary Sinise Foundation achieves its mission by honoring our fallen heroes and supporting the Gold Star families left behind.

In March 2021, the Gary Sinise Foundation joined American's across the nation in recognizing Month of the Military Child. During this month, we proudly shared the stories of the military children we have had the honor of serving. Spotlighted are some of the Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express kids who have paid the ultimate sacrifice of losing a loved one as told by their surviving parent. Continue reading here.

This past February, as a severe winter storm moved across the country, Gold Star spouse Brittany Forbes, never expected their state’s power grid to fail, buckling under the historic frigid temperatures. Millions in Texas were temporarily without power and running water. The unexpected disaster, amid a global health pandemic, revealed the lengths strangers, friends, and neighbors were willing to go to help another. Continue reading here.

Watch This Special Memorial Day Message About Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express

Each year, during the Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express annual event, we honor and remember our fallen military heroes in a Remembrance Garden filled with hundreds of flags and placards, each representing the brave heroes our Gold Star families lost. The Remembrance Garden is an important reminder to our Snowball Express families that they are not alone, and their hero’s selfless sacrifice will never be forgotten. Take a moment to watch the video above to learn more about the Remembrance Garden and its meaning. You can also visit the 2020 Virtual Remembrance Garden here.

Apprehension washed over Gale Renteria. Over a decade had passed since her late husband, U.S. Army Corporal Jeremiah Johnson, died from injuries sustained in a rollover accident in Iraq. She wondered if her circumstances — a military widow who has since remarried — qualified for financial support from the Gary Sinise Foundation. Continue reading here.

For surviving spouses of fallen service members, many questions about the future of their financials are being analyzed and thoroughly discussed and put into action during eight-week financial seminars organized by the Gary Sinise Foundation and hosted virtually by CSP Financial Group for Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express families. Continue reading here.

Tune in to PBS to watch the National Memorial Day Concert hosted by Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna on Sunday, May 30, 2021, from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET. You can also stream the live concert on PBS.org, YouTube and Facebook!

Check out the 2021 National Memorial Day Parade brought to you by The American Veterans Center, featuring our Founder and Chairman, Gary Sinise, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. Find your local broadcast here.

Your support ensures we can continue to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and serve the Gold Star families left behind. Consider making a gift in their honor today, by donating to the Gary Sinise Foundation.