Proudly Supporting the Gary Sinise Foundation in Honoring Our Veterans

Saying that you’re committed to honoring our Veterans is easy. Creating a lasting tribute to them and bringing peace to their families is altogether different. The Gary Sinise Foundation knows that.

WoodmenLife is proud to partner with the Gary Sinise Foundation. At this year’s National Convention, we shared the story of the Foundation, its mission, and the impact it has on the people it serves.

Honoring Our Veterans

The Gary Sinise Foundation serves our nation by honoring our defenders, Veterans, First Responders, their families, and those in need. The Foundation does this through a number of national and local programs. These programs are designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.

One such program is the Snowball Express annual event. It aims to help families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty or other service-related losses feel supported by a grateful nation.

The Foundation hosts the five-day event at Walt Disney World^®. The event helps families heal together and know that their hero’s selfless sacrifice will never be forgotten. In 2024, nearly 2,000 family members of fallen service members and First Responders attended.

The Remembrance Garden

A prominent feature of the Snowball Express annual event is the Remembrance Garden. It’s filled with hundreds of American flags, each one representing a fallen hero.

From the moment she stepped inside, Dena Yllescas-Johnston of Aurora, NE, was moved by the serenity of the garden and what it represents.

“The Remembrance Garden is something that just brought goosebumps to me,” said the surviving spouse of Army Capt. Robert J. Yllescas. “It was so quiet and so solemn, and you see all those flags. You see people leaving notes for their loved ones — and you realize that it’s not just your husband, it’s all of these wives and husbands who have passed away.

“It just was nice to be able to, in that moment, take the time to sit there and reflect on him and the memories. It was just beautiful, and it was such a peaceful environment.”

Dena Yllescas-Johnston of Aurora, NE, attended the Gary Sinise Foundation’s Snowball Express annual event.

Proud to Be a Partner

WoodmenLife partners with the Gary Sinise Foundation to make the Remembrance Garden a moving memorial to our fallen heroes.

Since 2018, it’s been our honor to be the official provider of U.S. flags and flagpoles for the garden. We’re also proud to send volunteers who help ensure every detail reflects our nation’s gratitude.

Experiencing the Snowball Express annual event and the Remembrance Garden is something Yllescas-Johnston recommends for grieving families.

“I 100% think that anybody who’s gone through what my family has gone through definitely needs to go to Snowball Express,” she said. “It brings such joy to the kids. It’s so uplifting to see the smiles — just hundreds of kids being loved on the entire five days that they’re there.

“They are experiencing such joy. And knowing what sadness these kids have gone through, other families need to experience this at least once in their life.”

Visit WoodmenLife.org/Patriotism to learn more about our commitment to honoring our country and our support for the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Written by: Gary Peterson, Senior Copywriter

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