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By Debbie Gregory.

At the Nashville Airport, travelers stood and service members saluted at the sound of the National Anthem as some of the Gold Star families got ready to board the Snowball Express. American Airlines staff members threw a party at the gate for the children who have sacrificed a parent in combat. A video shot by Jen Tringale captured the moment, and later went viral.

The Gary Sinise Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on veterans, first responders, and their families, sent some 1,750+ Gold Star family members to Walt Disney World as part of its holiday season program that aims to help families of fallen service members.

Snowball Express was started in 2005 by a group of Southern Californians including Rotarians and has grown each year. In 2017, Snowball Express became an official Gary Sinise Foundation program. The 5-day event for 1,750+ children and the surviving parents give them the opportunity to have some fun and meet and bond with other children with the same experience.

Debbie Gregory, the founder and CEO of VAMBOA had the pleasure of helping with the first Snowball Express, and has continued to support the organization over the years.

Other airports got in on the festivities as well. The Killeen Airport, a familiar location for any service members who have activated or deployed through Fort Hood, Texas, welcomed Snowball Express participants and a man in a Santa costume met with the families.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association sent tote bags to participants to help them get all their goods from location to location, and the controllers themselves posted photos on social media celebrating as flights took off from airfields under their control.

Gary Sinise is a wonderful supporter of those who serve, past and present. If you’re interested in supporting the Gary Sinise Foundation, which also builds adaptive homes for disabled veterans, hosts free theater nights for veterans, and helps pay for training and equipment for first responders visit the website at https://www.garysinisefoundation.org.