The Lt. Dan Band, named after Sinise's role in the film "Forrest Gump," will perform a benefit concert Jan. 30 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills to raise money for the organization founded by Sinise.
Posted on 01/26/2005 7:30:50 PM PST by stayout
Here's an interesting news item from our local paper here about Gary Sinise, a real stand-up guy:
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| Sinise was inspired to start the charity, Operation Iraqi Children, after a USO tour of Iraq, during which he visited with Iraqi school children. The Lt. Dan Band, named after Sinise's role in the film "Forrest Gump," will perform a benefit concert Jan. 30 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills to raise money for the organization founded by Sinise. |
The role of Lt. Dan in the movie "Forrest Gump" didn't just earn Gary Sinise an Oscar nomination, it brought him international recognition. Soldiers, citizens and even children all recognize "Lt. Dan," which inspired him to name the band that he travels with to perform for U.S. troops.
After visiting children in Iraq during his second trip to the Middle East in November 2003, Sinise was also inspired to start Operation Iraqi Children to provide school supply kits assembled by American citizens to Iraqi children, as well as foster goodwill between Iraqi people and American soldiers as they delivered those supplies.
During that trip, Sinise visited a school about 40 miles north of Baghdad that had been rebuilt by the Coalition. "The U. S. troops had built a floor and windows for a school that originally had nothing, and in a school where three or four kids share a pencil," Sinise said about what he saw that day. "What I saw was wonderful-the interaction between the Iraqi kids and soldiers had a beautiful spirit."
When he returned to the states, he contacted Our Lady of Malibu School and conducted a school supply drive with the children from the school. The first shipment had 25 boxes of school supplies, and was delivered in March 2004.
Then Sinise partnered with Laura Hillenbrand, author of "Seabiscuit: An American Legend." "Together we joined forces and started the Web site for people to contribute," Sinise explained. "We have sent close to 100,000 school supply kits to the children to date.
"The American troops delivering the supplies are building bridges between our forces and future leaders of Iraq, which are the kids," Sinise said in a phone interview Monday.
The goal of the program is to have groups of people band together and actually put together the school supply kits to be sent to the children of Iraq. The OIC Web site includes specific "ingredients" for what is needed. People can donate money, but the organization prefers the actual kits.
"Our original intention was not to raise money, but to involve the American people and show positive support for American troops," Sinise explained. "When the kits are sent over to the troops, many have included letters to the troops saying thank you and showing support. It's important that it comes right from the American people."
Also included in the kits are pictures that the U.S. children include of themselves. "The Iraqi children see that there are people here that care about them," Sinise said. "It is a difficult time, and it is important that the people and the soldiers see and hear the positive."
When the OIC's first distribution was being prepared, a letter, which is posted on OIC's Web site, was received from a U.S. soldier in Iraq that shared the excitement of Iraqi citizen and former biology teacher, Ehsan, who wrote, "The country needs education. There are some very smart people in this country, but mostly the population is uneducated and uninformed. The Americans are helping Iraqis change that and that is good."
Another letter sent by an Iraqi citizen after the children received their kits states, "I want to tell you that all the students today were very happy and you can see the smile on their faces I can't find the words to explain to you the situation ..."
Sinise, who founded Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company and currently stars in CBS' television drama "CSI: New York," has always had a passion for music, playing for fun with friends and his own enjoyment over the years. He formed the Lt. Dan Band after his second trip to visit troops in Iraq and he decided to put his name and the band to good use.
"After the second trip to Iraq, I also started traveling with the band to perform for the troops," Sinise said. "We love playing for the troops."
The Lt. Dan Band has traveled to Korea, Singapore, Kuwait, Germany and Italy as well as performing for U.S. military bases in Mississippi, North Carolina, Arizona and Orlando. The band will perform Saturday at Port Hueneme, as well, the day before the benefit at The Canyon Club.
"We play everything from Hendrix to Beyonce, and all the stuff in between including Christina Aguillara and Janice Joplin, country, rock, pop and a little bit of blues," Sinise said. "And the show on the 30th should be a lot of fun."
The Lt. Dan Band performs at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are a $25 donation. This is an all ages show. All proceeds benefit Operation Iraqi Children. More information and tickets can be obtained by calling 818.879.5016.
More information about sending school supplies and other urgently needed items can be obtained from the Web site, www.operationiraqichildren.org; and to read about Sinise's band: www.ltdanban.com
Gary Sinise, perhaps best known for playing "Lt. Dan" in the film "Forest Gump," co-founded Operation Iraqi Children after visiting military bases in Iraq twice last year on USO trips. "I saw such wonderful things happening between Americans and Iraqis," Sinise told The Tidings. "I saw a camaraderie and affectionate outpouring of gratitude toward the Americans." According to Sinise, he witnessed children hugging American soldiers for helping to rebuild schools. Article
(Sheesh--we didn't hear that from the MSM!)
I scrunched my brow for weeks trying to remember where I saw this season's ('24') Erin Driscoll before. She was Madeline, second in command at "Section", in the 'La Femme Nikita' series.
What an awesome idea! Folks can come with their whole families teenagers to little ones. I saw an ad for CSI-NY the other day, and when I saw he was in it, I decided to try to find out when it was on. I don't watch network television, but for him, I'll make an exception.
He starred in the TV miniseries "The Stand" which Sir SuziQ and i enjoyed tremendously. We knew the story was something totally different when we saw the guys in their jail cells reach out to each other, hold hands and say the Lord's Prayer! You could knocked us over with a feather!
I remember his work in "The Stand" well. He was good then, and has only gotten better...
the infowarrior
I'm just telling ya what I read. The Christian Science Monitor says he is one of them.
Do Evangelicals consider them "Christian"?
"The son of a Methodist father and a Christian Scientist mother, he calls himself a believer, even if others on the gospel road might consider parts of his life unconventional."
Gerald's wife Delta Burke.
Me too.
Agree about Caruso, but the worst thing about CSI Miami is that pathologist who keeps talking to the corpses. Somebody should tell her to stop, it's weird....
ROTFL!! It's that 'suave' taking off and putting on of the sunglasses! Once a show is plenty.
Sounds like his movie Tender Mercies, one of my favorites.
I recognized her immediately, though I've only ever seen smippets of "La Femme Nikita". She plays the very same character. ;o) If you'll notice, the SET of "24" is very similar to LFN, as well.
This is our first season watching "24", and we're enjoying it. We're not big tv watchers because there's so little that's decent to watch. We've become fans of CSI since it's been running on Spike TV; the only show on that network worth watching, IMO. We just ordered up "24"on DVD from Netflix. The first season had a long wait, so we're starting in with the second, though I understand that it's not problem jumping right in the later episodes.
I dont' find that strange at all, but then, maybe I'm strange too. ;o)
Thanks for the post.
Yeah, I noticed that Erin/Madeline are one and the same character. Ingenious casting, in my opinion. And the sets for the two series ('24' and 'La Femme Nikita') are VERY similar. "Section" and CTU are essentially the same thing. Jack is Michael, Chloe is Birkoff.
My youngest son (13) and I watch two TV shows each week - - '24' and 'Monk". Other than that, there's very little TV viewing around here other than sports and VH1, although I did get bored last night and stumbled onto CSI on Spike. I stayed tuned because I saw Gary Sinise and everything he's in is good.
Regards,
LH
This is a good man. I hardly ever watch television but I watch his show because of him. May the good guys wins and the scumbags finally lose.
We like "Monk", too. Have enjoyed it for the few years it's been on, though it's hard to follow when it's going to air, sometimes.
I KNEW this was a good guy!! My instincts were right on!
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