Our MissionAt the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve 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.

“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.”

- Gary Sinise

The Foundation

• The Gary Sinise Foundation was established under the philanthropic direction of a thirty-year advocate for our nation’s defenders, actor Gary Sinise. Its outreach is directed to those who defend our nation—our Active Duty Service Members, Veterans, First-Responders and their families—with the goal of fulfilling the gaps of support they oftentimes encounter and extending America’s gratitude wherever possible.

• While our mission is broad we’ve created 6 key programs that help our heroes in the areas of entertainment and family support.

“The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be

forgotten.” -President Calvin Coolidge

Our Programs

The LT Dan Band was founded in 2004 with a mission of supporting military members and their families. After the attack on September 11, 2001, and with the deployment of our military to Afghanistan and Iraq in response, Gary Sinise volunteered to visit the troops with the USO.  

They have since performed hundreds of shows on military bases across the world.

In 2011, Gary Sinise and The LT Dan Band officially became a program of the non profit Gary Sinise Foundation. Its mission is to serve our military, veteran and first responder communities by entertaining, boosting morale and raising funds wherever needed.

 Life can change in an instant, especially for our nation's defenders and their families. That's why the Gary Sinise Foundation Relief & Resiliency Outreach program was established to provide complete support to those recovering from trauma and loss during times of urgent need. We're also helping heal their emotional wounds by hosting exciting events and activities for those enduring similar struggles. By building a community of strong friendships and forming joyful, lasting memories, they can find new hopes for the future together.

The heroic spirit displayed by our wounded servicemen and women throughout the rigors of rehabilitation is an inspiration. To show our gratitude for their sacrifices, we designed our Invincible Spirit Festivals to celebrate not only the courage of our wounded heroes, but of their families and caregivers as well. Each day-long festival brings a live Gary Sinise & Lt. Dan Band concert, a fair-like atmosphere for children, and a delicious meal prepared by Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine to our nation's military medical hospitals.

Nothing offers an opportunity to bond and give thanks quite like breaking bread together. That's why we're showing gratitude to our nation's defenders by serving them hearty, classic American meals during their airport layovers at the USO-Los Angeles, USO-San Diego, USO-Dallas Fort Worth, USO-Las Vegas, USO-Great Lakes, and other locations around the country.

As a co-founder of the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, Gary helped establish their Veteran's Night program, a tradition that continues nearly thirty years later. In order to combine his long-standing love of the arts with his quest to serve our nation's defenders, Gary has brought Veteran's Night to Gary Sinise Foundation by creating our Arts & Entertainment Outreach Program. We now offer Veteran’s Night at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and look to expand this at theaters around the country.

Our Ambassadors Council represents the Gary Sinise Foundation's mission and purpose through speaking engagements, public appearances, and leadership opportunities around the world. Each member is individually selected by our founder for their exceptional character and patriotism. As spokespersons on behalf of the Gary Sinise Foundation, they proudly share our accomplishments, aspirations as well as their own stories of service to inspire and educate new supporters and form personal connections.

The simple tasks of everyday life -- climbing stairs, reaching a high shelf, driving to the grocery store -- are easy to take for granted. Because they’re done without a second thought, it’s impossible to imagine an inability to perform them. But that’s often the reality for our severely wounded heroes, where basic tasks are impossible obstacles and the enduring ambition of rehabilitation is to achieve a semblance of normalcy.

R.I.S.E. was established to provide wounded heroes and their families with the necessary resources to overcome their new life challenges. Whether providing home modifications, adapted vehicles, wheelchairs/trackchairs or constructing custom Smart Homes, the Gary Sinise Foundation is committed to helping our wounded heroes increase their mobility and reclaim their self-reliance.

These debilitating injuries can have a ripple effect on an entire household especially when familial roles are upended and the new, difficult responsibilities of day-to-day care are shouldered by others. Imagine living in total reliance on caregivers to perform even the most mundane, sometimes very personal tasks, every day. The feeling of demoralization is profound, especially for our service members who pride themselves on competence and self-reliance.

Atop the emotional and physical stresses are the added financial burdens. Most military families lack the means to purchase or retrofit a home specifically designed for their individual needs, nor obtain an adapted vehicle for transportation or sometimes even a suitable wheelchair. By providing the necessary equipment and financial assistance, we can help these heroes reclaim their dignity and self-reliance in order to move forward with their lives.

Home isn’t just four walls. It is about finding a place that makes you feel welcome and motivates

you to succeed.

With features like retractable cooktops, cabinets and shelving, automated lighting, heating, air-conditioning and window treatments controlled by an iPad, as well as elevators, roll-in bathrooms, front-load washers and dryers, intercom systems and automated doors, our custom Smart Homes can help restore each hero's independence in countless ways.

Each Smart Home recipient participates in every detail of their home from selecting the location, to designing the floor plan to suit their hobbies, and customizing the interiors to suit their design aesthetic. These homes are truly one-of-a-kind.

By the end of 2014, we will have begun constructionpreparations, broken ground, or completed

28

Smart Homes across the country

Our Smart Home Recipients

How Smart Home Recipients Are Selected

The decisions are based on severity of injuries, which is why we focus primarily on double, triple, and quadruple amputees and those with traumatic brain injury and severe burns who may be unable to care for themselves and who require others to take care of them.  The vetting process is based on the capacity and ability to manage, own, and maintain home ownership.

Additionally, there are organizations such as Semper Fi, Wounded Warrior Family Support, and Hope for the Warriors who will refer wounded heroes to the Gary Sinise Foundation.  They not only assist with identifying potential Smart Home recipients, but they also conduct vetting to expedite the process.

Lastly, Gary Sinise has personal relationships with several military hospitals and is in regular communication with key hospital staff and leadership.  Gary makes frequent visits throughout the year to a number of hospitals, and has the opportunity to meet wounded heroes and their families on a regular basis.

USMC Cpl. Juan Dominguez:Home Complete

Age: 29 Location: Temecula, CA Caregiver: Alexis Dominguez, Wife, 24 Children: Victoria,11 & Ami, the toy poodle, 2 Hobbies: Playing the drums, writing music, cycling, spending time with his wife and daughter Favorite Memories: Having the opportunity to share his passion for music with Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Dave Kilminster, and G.E Smith at Madison Square Garden in front of 5,700 people and playing the bongos with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.

Joining the Marine Corps wasn't a decision that Juan Dominguez had to think very much about; it was in his blood. Following in the footsteps of his lifelong hero, his Father, a Vietnam Army veteran and Bronze Star recipient, as well as his Uncles and Grandfather; September 4th, 2010 was a happy day for Dominguez. "I headed off to MCRD San Diego for boot camp, and proudly graduated meritoriously as squad leader and Private First Class", says Dominguez with a huge smile on his face. After completing his military occupational specialty Juan was sent to 3rd battalion 5th Marines and upon completion of a work up he set off on the 31st MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) in January 2009. At noon on October 23, 2010 in Helmand province Sangin Afghanistan as point man for a team of twenty-five, Juan stepped on a 30lb wooden pressure-plated plastic jug IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The ensuing blast sent him fifteen feet in the air. 20 minutes later Juan lost both legs above the knee and his right arm above the elbow 6 hours later. Additional injuries from the blast include TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), severe PTS (Post Traumatic Stress), permanent hearing loss in both ears, and five hernias in the abdomen wall. To date, Dominguez has endured over twenty-five surgeries. Juan has been awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Navy Unit Citation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with star, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, NATO ISAF Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with star. Dominguez serves as a Gary Sinise Ambassador, Director of Social Media for Warfighter Made, and popular motivational speaker. Juan's TEDx talk has almost 4,000 page views.

The Dominguez Home

Having the space in their new home to pursue both of their individual passions, art and music, was important to Juan and Alexis. Their Smart Home features a music room where Juan can play the drums and work towards his degree in music production and Alexis can work towards hers in illustration and run her design business EleXeye Design

Family means everything to SFC (Ret) Michael Schlitz. In 1996 at age 20, Mike was trying to find his calling in life. Not convinced that he was ready to attend college, Mike, following in his older Brother(ARMY) and Grandfather's (NAVY) footsteps, enlisted and entered active duty at FT Benning, GA. Born in Milan, IL Mike grew to love the community at FT Benning where he attended Basic and AIT and the community there became his brothers and fellow 11B Infantrymen. Serving in several positions from Rifleman to Platoon Sergeant, Mike was a natural leader. He served with units such as B co 1/ 5 INF BN, FT. Lewis, WA (25th ID), A co 1/ 503rd INF BN, Camp Casey, Korea (2nd ID), A co 1/ 502nd INF BN, FT Campbell, KY (101st ABN DIV), E co 102 MI BN (LRSD) Camp Hovey, Korea (2nd ID), 4th Ranger Training BN, FT Benning, GA, and 4/ 31 INF BN FT Drum, NY (10th MTN DIV).

Serving in the Army for 14 years before his medical retirement Schlitz was passionate about his career and has many awards and decorations: Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal 2nd Award, Army Commendation Medal 5th award, Army Achievement Medal 7th award, Good Conduct Award 4th award, National Defense w/ bronze star, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon w/ number 3, Army Service Ribbon, Over Sea's Service Ribbon w/ number 3, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Air Assault Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.

On February 27, 2007 an IED consisting of 2X 155mm Artillery rounds and a Propane tank struck Schlitz's vehicle. His Gunner and Medic were tragically killed on impact and his Driver passed away shortly after he got out of the vehicle. Mike was sitting in the TC passenger seat and was thrown from the vehicle and caught on fire. He was put out by a fellow soldier and MEDEVAC to Baghdad where they were able to stabilize him for transfer to Germany and then on to Brook Army Medical Center where he spent 10 months in the hospital. His injuries include loss of hands, 85% total body burns, and loss of eye sight in the left eye due to a scarred cornea. Mike has endured over 83 surgeries. Mike's recovery is far from over and several surgeries on the horizon but his spirit remains positive: "On the day I got hurt, I lost my entire crew. Now, I want to live a better life for them. A life they would be proud of", says Schlitz.

Schlitz and his mother Robbi, his primary caregiver and support system since his injuries are thrilled about returning to Georgia where Mike's one-of-a-kind Smart Home is under construction. While Schlitz is thrilled to close to his military and civilian friends, he is most looking forward to giving his Mom back her support system as well. "Mom will have 100% her own space with its own living area, bathroom, bedroom, and garage. She is going to have room for her hobbies and to entertain her girlfriends and have much deserved girls day", says Schlitz. For Mike the independence he will gain is infinite compared to his current situation. The entire home will be wired to be controlled via iPad including opening and closing the front door. The elevator is also key for Schlitz as he will be able to navigate the whole home with ease including doing his laundry.

When Mike isn't at home he can be found traveling all over the world mentoring young servicemen and wounded veterans and participating in speaking engagements. Schlitz is a passionate Gary Sinise Foundation Ambassdor and Special Advisor to the Board of Directors with GallantFew. He has spoken on behalf of many military organizations, non-profits, large corporations, and has spoken at the White House twice with the Veterans Administration. As far as plans for the future Schlitz says, "It is my goal to continue to speak for and to the troops for motivation and benefits

US Army SFC (Ret.) Michael Schlitz:Under Construction

Age: 37

Location: Columbus, GA Caregiver: Robbi Schlitz, mother, 58 Hobbies: Seeking adventure at every turn- skydiving and participating in Red Bull's Washington, D.C. "Flugtag" competition, acting as a military mentor, and inspiring the military community via various speaking engagements including the upcoming Ranger Graduation Ceremony Favorite Home Feature: Gaining back his independence through the Smart Technology that allows him to control everything (including the front door) from anywhere in the house. This is particularly exciting for him as he knows how much freedom it will also give his mother, Robbi, to focus on her favorite hobbies; crafting and sewing.

“I can't wait to go home because of my community. If I need help or need to give my mom [Robbi,

my caregiver] a break, I can have 200 people at my house in an

hour. It's a wonderful thing”- Mike

Schlitz

We believe that these heroes should feel the support and encouragement of their communities. At the Gary Sinise Foundation we work to incorporate local businesses and residents into all of our Smart Home projects. From helping to complete cleanup and construction projects, fundraising, and participation in dedication ceremonies we strive to make a local impact with each and every project.

Very simply, if every neighborhood in every community in every town and city in every state would make it a priority

to seek out, identify, serve and honor the needs of the veterans and military families within those communities, we

will have the problem solved."- Gary Sinise

Our Commitment

As the needs of the veterans community continues to evolve, the Gary Sinise Foundation is committed to tailoring the support and services that we provide to fulfill the ever-changing set of needs that our heroes and their families face on a daily basis. We don’t plan to just fulfill needs, we plan to identify them through events like our Closing the Gap Summit we co-hosted with the USC School of Social Work and to find a solution to the problems our heroes are struggling with.  Through our exciting military support concerts with the LT Dan Band, Invincible Spirit Festivals at military hospitals nationwide, and our Veteran’s Nights, we are committed to lifting the spirits of our heroes globally. The Gary Sinise Foundation is motivated by founder Gary Sinise's 30+ year commitment to supporting our veterans. We plan to continue to modify and build custom Smart Homes for our most severely wounded veterans and help them regain their independence.

Strategic Partner and Corporate and Charitable Partner

Provides project management for R.I.S.E.

Charitable Partner

There's something about us saying to some young guy whose given three

limbs, or four limbs that we care about you, we appreciate what you've gone through for us. We all benefit from the

freedom that you provide by serving our country and let us do something for you.

That's the least we can do.”

-Gary Sinise