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Actor/humanitarian Gary Sinise meets with Gold Star families at the Gary Sinise Foundation's Snowball Express Send-Off Celebration at LAX Airport on Dec. 8.
Actor/humanitarian Gary Sinise meets with Gold Star families at the Gary Sinise Foundation's Snowball Express Send-Off Celebration at LAX Airport on Dec. 8. (Chelsea Guglielmino / Getty Images)

Sitcom Star Fiercely Defends Gary Sinise, Blasts Time for Ignoring Him for 'Person of the Year'

 By Kara Pendleton  December 14, 2018 at 4:05pm
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Time magazine chose “impactful journalists” under the title of “The Guardians” for their “Person of the Year” of 2018. But the outlet overlooked someone who regularly makes a tremendous impact for others, and sitcom star Patricia Heaton wasn’t having any of it.

Sinise is well-known, and well-loved, for his ongoing charitable efforts. Heaton, star of “The Middle” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” pointed out some very good reasons why the charitable-minded actor should be given the honor from Time.

Heaton noted that he raises $30 million a year to build homes for wounded veterans. She also mentioned his support of Gold Star families.

Sinise honors the fallen and offers support to their families. It may seem like a little thing, but to those who have lost so much, it can mean everything.

And of special note is the benefit that comes to the children of the fallen. Seeing their loved one honored and being given support during such a difficult time is of immeasurable importance.

Virtually everything Sinise and his foundation do impacts the lives of the children of the wounded and fallen. He does special things just for them, too.

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But there is even more to what this impressive actor does for the military, veterans and their families. Sinise is “all in” for his beloved cause.

The Gary Sinise Foundation has a mission of “serv(ing) our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.”

Sinise added to the foundation mission statement, saying, “Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted. We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.”

The “2018: Gary Sinise Foundation Impact” video gives insight into some of what his foundation does and how it changes the lives of our veterans and their families. More than one company is in partnership with the foundation and highly praises what it has accomplished.



The foundation’s RISE program for severely wounded veterans “was established to provide these heroes with specially-adapted smart homes, mortgage-free, and custom-built from the ground up.” It also provides “modifications to existing homes, mobility devises, and adapted vehicles.”

Do you believe Gary Sinise should be Time magazine's 'Person of the Year'?

This allows veterans and their families to have more normalcy in their lives. It also helps the veterans have more independence in life and in interacting with spouses, children and others.

Then there are the foundation’s Relief and Resiliency Outreach programs, which “help veterans and their families overcome trauma by healing together.” The whole heart and soul of it is, “Whether it’s supporting and connecting those enduring similar struggles, providing a little help with bills in a time of special need, or honoring our Gold Star families, we’re always looking for ways to keep families strong and their spirits high.”

But Sinise doesn’t just have a foundation that bears his name; he is personally involved in service. One example is how he goes on tour with the USO to entertain troops:

Working with the USO, his foundation also regularly provides meals to service members and their families. Posts of thanks to him and his foundation can be found all over Twitter:

Sinise visits with the wounded and their families. He includes first responders among those his foundation helps.

Patricia Heaton is right: His tireless and selfless work for those who give all for the rest of us is inspirational and certainly worthy of a Time magazine cover. If the point is about recognizing those who are “impactful,” he is clearly someone worthy of consideration, given how many individuals and their families he helps across the United States, in so many ways.

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Kara Pendleton
Kara Pendleton is a former contributor to Liftable, a publication of the Western Journal.




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