This week, Walt Disney World welcomed more than 700 families of fallen military heroes to the Florida destination for the annual Gary Sinise Foundation “Snowball Express” event where more than 1,800 children and surviving spouses had the opportunity to bond with the only people who can truly understand their loss: one another.
As a company with a long history of supporting the U.S. military community, Disney was honored to host and make extra magic for these families from 80+ cities nationwide and overseas who have sacrificed so much in service to our country.
In the Remembrance Garden, families have a quiet place to sit and spend time with their hero. The road to healing is long and should never be traveled alone. It is our solemn promise to our fallen heroes that we will support and uplift their families this day and every day.
Another key moment of this five-day retreat is the sunrise “Walk of Gratitude” in Magic Kingdom Park and it’s one that many cast members look forward to supporting every year. So much so that more than 1,100 Disney VoluntEARS made their way to Magic Kingdom before 5 a.m. to honor these special military families.
As the sun slowly rose on a chilly December morning, hundreds of family members walked from Town Square towards Cinderella Castle to participate in an emotional ceremony celebrating their fallen loved one as hundreds more cast members cheered them on with loving appreciation and support.
Prior to arriving in Magic Kingdom, each family wrote personal messages to their fallen hero on scrolls that were placed in a magic caldron on the Cinderella Castle stage. During the procession, children of these fallen service members rang bells to send their messages up to the parent(s) they lost. As they arrived at the Castle, they were greeted by Mickey Mouse and Gary Sinise Foundation leadership who started a special moment where all the scrolls in the magic caldron were sent skyward to heaven with the help of a little Disney magic.
No Snowball Express Disney in December would be complete without a rocking performance by Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band! As they entered the concert venue in EPCOT, families were given a red carpet welcome by members of the Patriot Guard Riders. And when Gary and the LTDB took the stage, there was endless dancing, hugs, and smiles as far as the eye could see!
Walt Disney World is honored to support the Gary Sinise Foundation’s annual Snowball Express event, which has expanded to include a second week from Dec. 9-13 this year to recognize and honor more than 350 families of fallen first responders who do so much to serve and protect our communities. They offer their thanks to Gary Sinise, his team and all the volunteers from both of our organizations that are helping bring solace and some happiness to all these special families when they need it most, during the holiday season.
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