Each December, Walt Disney World Resort becomes more than a theme park for hundreds of military and first responder families. Through the Gary Sinise Foundation’s annual Snowball Express, it becomes a place of healing, connection, and remembrance for children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
Founded in 2006, Snowball Express brings families of fallen heroes together for a five-day retreat designed to help them grieve, bond, and find joy alongside others who understand their loss. Since 2018 alone, more than 23,000 children of fallen service members and first responders, along with their surviving parent or guardian, have participated in the program.
The origins of Snowball Express trace back to a deeply personal moment during the Iraq War. After U.S. Army PFC Jesse Givens was killed in action, he left a letter for his wife asking that, if anything happened to him, she take their children to Disneyland. That wish sparked what Gary Sinise describes as “the snowflake that started this snowball rolling,” transforming one family’s request into a nationwide tradition of support.
For Sinise, the mission has always gone beyond a Disney vacation. The heart of Snowball Express is the community. By surrounding grieving children with peers who have experienced similar loss, the program reminds them they are not alone and helps families show their fallen loved ones that they are moving forward and will be okay.
The Gary Sinise Foundation became formally involved in 2007, when Sinise brought his Lt. Dan Band to perform for children who had lost a parent, focusing on lifting spirits and creating moments of joy. As the program grew, Sinise approached Disney leadership about expanding Snowball Express to Walt Disney World. With Disney’s full support, the first official event at the Florida resort launched in 2018 and has since grown into a massive, deeply collaborative effort.
One of the most powerful moments of the retreat is the “Walk of Gratitude,” where families walk down Main Street U.S.A. at dawn, cheered on by nearly 1,000 Disney VoluntEARS, many of whom are veterans themselves. The walk culminates at Cinderella Castle, where children place notes to their fallen heroes into a ceremonial cauldron, symbolically sending messages to heaven.
Sinise says the moment he looks forward to most each year is simply seeing happy kids. Over the years, he has watched children return annually, growing older, standing proudly in shirts bearing photos of their fallen parent, forming a visible reminder of resilience and continuity.
Underlying Sinise’s commitment is a belief he often attributes to a quote displayed at his foundation: “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” It is a principle that aligns closely with his own roots.
Before becoming an acclaimed actor and philanthropist, Gary Sinise was profoundly shaped by Chicago. He co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Highland Park in 1974, helping build one of the most influential theater institutions in the country. His Chicago years instilled a strong sense of ensemble, service, and responsibility to community, values that continue to define his philanthropic work today.
Through Snowball Express, Sinise has transformed that Chicago-born ethos into a national mission, ensuring that families who have sacrificed for the country are remembered, supported, and never left behind.
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