Actor/Humanitarian Gary Sinise Honors and Supports Naval District of Washington Community with Healing Concert Co-Sponsored by the USO and The Gary Sinise Foundation

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Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band perform a healing USO concert for the Washington Navy Yard community.

For the USO, and for Gary Sinise to do this for the survivors and the families of the victims of the Navy Yard is truly, truly a special thing - Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus

Arlington, Va (PRWEB) December 04, 2013

Twitter Pitch: @GarySiniseFound and @the_USO support @NavalDistrctWash with healing concert.

Yesterday evening, award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise played to a crowd of more than 1,900 DC area active duty troops, Department of the Navy civilian employees, contractors and military families as part of a concert co-sponsored by the USO and the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF). Sinise and his 12-member cover band, The Lt. Dan Band, delivered high-energy renditions of some of today’s biggest hits such as Katy Perry’s ROAR, The Who’s Baba O Riley and Earth Wind & Fire’s September. Tenor Danny Rodriguez, known as “the singing policeman” also performed.    

An avid supporter of our troops and their families, Sinise was moved to action following the tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013, and reached out to the Navy and the USO to help host the healing concert. Additionally, Sinise’s Foundation donated the band’s performance and American Airlines, a GSF partner on events each year, donated the air transportation for Sinise and his band members.

Established in 1799, the Washington Navy Yard is the U.S. Navy’s oldest shore establishment, and has supported troops in conflicts since The War of 1812. Today, the Washington Navy Yard serves as the Headquarters for Naval District Washington and houses numerous support activities for the fleet and aviation communities.

Sinise and his band has been touring independently and with the USO since 2004, performing and boosting morale for over half-a-million troops and their families. With the USO alone they’ve participated in 61 USO tours and more than 146 USO events and are dedicated to continuing their efforts in supporting those who serve our country. In 2011, Sinise launched the Gary Sinise Foundation to serve our nation by honoring its defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities.

Details:

• Most recently, Sinise and his band thanked troops and military families by performing as part of the “Salute to the Troops” weekend in Las Vegas. As part of the weekend, more than 80 wounded, ill and injured service men and women and their guests were treated to a weekend of relaxation and entertainment in honor of Veterans Day.
• On November 8, 2013, over the Veterans Day weekend, the USO launched Every Moment Counts, a national campaign to rally Americans to honor and create moments that matter for our troops and their families. Americans can visit http://www.USOmoments.org and take a moment to share their thanks to troops or give a moment by making a donation in support of the USO’s various programs and resources that support our troops around the world.
• In the past year alone, donations of time and dollars have allowed the USO to provide over 9 million moments to help troops and their families stay connected, transition and overcome the various obstacles of military life.
• Since World War II and up until the 1960s, the Navy Yard has designed and built weapons used in every war in which the United States fought. Additionally, the Naval Yard provided support to troops during the Civil War and World War I.
• The Washington Navy Yard was also the scene of many scientific developments, including the research and testing of Robert Fulton’s clockwork torpedo, Commodore John Rodgers work with the country’s first marine railway for the overhaul of large vessels in 1822 and John Dahlgren’s bottle-shaped cannon that went on to become the mainstay of naval ordnance before the Civil War.

Quotes:

Attributed to Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy:
“For the USO, and for Gary Sinise to do this for the survivors and the families of the victims of the Navy Yard is truly, truly a special thing. We are one team. We are one family, and the fact that this is happening for them…makes this a very moving, very touching and very special time.”

Attributed to Gary Sinise:
“The men and women serving at Navy Yard have been through so much and it’s important to be there for them to show them our support,” said Sinise. “With this concert it is my hope that it will serve as a reminder that they are not alone and not forgotten during this difficult time. I want to thank the USO, American Airlines, Danny Rodriguez and all our sponsors for being there and helping to make this show possible.”

Attributed to John Pray, USO Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff:
“We are honored to be here today to help lift the spirits of the men and women serving at the Washington Navy Yard. It means so much to us, as an organization, that when the Navy wanted to do something special for their family, they looked to the USO. The USO, Gary Sinise and his Lt Dan Band members share a similar passion and commitment to thank our troops and their families for all they do to protect the freedoms we enjoy daily. This concert is about healing and taking a moment to remember that every moment counts.”

Entertainment tours are one of the many ways the USO helps to lift the spirits of our troops and military families and to let them know that the USO is always by their side. To find out more about how the USO’s programs and services help to enrich the lives of our troops and families, visit us online at http://www.uso.org.

MULTIMEDIA:

USO Photos: http://bit.ly/1a4MTmK
USO Fact sheet: http://bit.ly/1apSMv2

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About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, The Coca-Cola Company, Grand Canyon University, jcpenney, Jeep, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe’s, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation and TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.

ABOUT GARY SINISE
For over thirty years, Gary Sinise has stood as an advocate of America's servicemen and women. His passion in this area was born from his family's deep roots in military service and from a desire to contribute following the attacks on September 11, 2001.

His portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor in the landmark film "Forrest Gump" formed an enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community. After several USO handshake tours in 2003, Sinise formed the "Lt. Dan Band" in early 2004 and began entertaining troops serving at home and abroad. In 2011, Sinise launched the Gary Sinise Foundation to serve our nation by honoring its defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. These include its R.I.S.E. Outreach (Restoring Independence and Supporting Empowerment), whose flagship initiative is its custom Smart Home building program for severely wounded veterans. Each home is customized to ease their daily challenges and help restore independence with features like retractable cook tops, cabinets and shelving, elevators and more, all accessible via an iPad. Other programs include Relief & Resiliency Outreach, Invincible Spirit Festivals, Serving Heroes and Arts & Entertainment Outreach. The Foundation has also partnered with GE on their Get Skills to Work program to help veterans translate military skills into advanced manufacturing jobs while empowering employers with tools to recruit, onboard and mentor veterans.

Sinise has received many distinguished awards including the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. He is only the third actor ever to receive this honor. Other awards include The Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Medal of Honor Society, the Spirit of the USO Award, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the Spirit of Hope Award presented by the Department of Defense and honorary Chief Petty Officer by the Navy.

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