Every December, Walt Disney World turns into something really special. It becomes a place for hundreds of families—people who have lost a loved one serving in the military or as a first responder—to heal, find hope, and celebrate. This is all thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation’s annual “Snowball Express” program.
It’s a five-day trip that brings the children and families of fallen heroes together, and they get to connect, remember their loved ones, and feel that famous Disney magic. Since the program started in 2006, it’s become a big deal, bringing joy to families who’ve sacrificed a lot.
The Retreat: A Walk of Gratitude
Since 2018, more than 23,000 children and their guardians have been part of this trip to Disney World. This year, the retreat is actually running over two weeks. It’s a chance for families to make new friends and create some important memories. One of the most meaningful things they do is the “Walk of Gratitude,” which happens at daybreak when they get special, early access to Magic Kingdom.
Nearly 1,000 Disney VoluntEARS, many of them veterans themselves, line Main Street U.S.A. to cheer everyone on. The walk ends at Cinderella Castle for a ceremony where the families write notes to their fallen heroes. These notes are put into a cauldron and, with a little Disney magic, are sent “to heaven” for them to read.
Where the Idea Came From
To understand why this matters so much, we talked to Gary Sinise, the founder of the foundation and the actor known as Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump. He was happy to share the story. Here’s how it works: It all started with a simple, heartbreaking wish. “During the Iraq war, U.S. Army Private First-Class Jesse Givens died for our country,” Sinise said. “He left a letter to his wife that said, ‘if anything happens to me, take the kids to Disneyland.’” Sinise calls that letter “the snowflake that started this snowball rolling.”
The goal was always to help kids through a very tough time. The soldier wanted his children to go to a happy place and remember he was still with them. Here’s the thing: That’s how it is for every family. It’s like they bring their loved one with them, and they show their fallen hero that they are doing okay. Sinise also talked about a quote that’s up on the foundation’s wall: “The nation, which forgets its defenders, will itself be forgotten.”
How Disney Got Involved
Sinise got involved with “Snowball Express” in 2007. The people who started it asked him to join, so he brought his band, Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band, to perform for the grieving children in Anaheim. He remembers thinking, “Let’s just lift them up and make sure that we just wrap our arms around them, give them a lot of love.” Later, he pitched the idea of moving the event to Disney World, which is a massive effort with thousands of people.
“I went to Disney in LA and had a meeting with Bob Iger,” he explained. “I was very passionate about trying to just tell how important this was to the kids.” And that’s why it matters: Happy kids are “Disney’s thing,” Sinise noted, saying, “It’s in their wheelhouse.” So, when Iger said yes, a lot of things started to happen. The first big event at Disney World was in 2018, and it’s grown ever since.
It’s All About Community
It’s definitely a fun trip, but here’s the problem it really tries to solve: helping these kids realize they are not alone. “That’s the whole point of ‘Snowball.’ Let’s have some fun. But let’s put these kids together with other kids who are going through the same thing,” Sinise said. “Show them they’re not alone.” The people at Disney understood that, and they worked to make the event more magical every year, giving the families more support and creative ideas for fun. When asked what moment he looks forward to most, Sinise kept it simple: “It’s all about just happy kids to me.”
He pointed to the “Walk of Gratitude” as especially moving. “The kids to walk down Main Street U.S.A. to all the cheering people that got up in the middle of the night and came over to support the kids, that’s very moving.” And for him, watching the kids grow up year after year is something special. They often stand right up front at his band’s concert, wearing a T-shirt with their fallen hero on it. “I would watch the kids grow up in front of me,” he said. “Each year they would get a little bit older, a little bit bigger, and I would watch them and I’d look at them. That’s always been very, very special.”
