Moving Scenes At Disney's Magic Kingdom For The Snowball Express Walk Of Gratitude
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  • Writer's pictureGotta Go Orlando

Moving Scenes At Disney's Magic Kingdom For The Snowball Express Walk Of Gratitude

Earlier this week we reported that Actor Gary Sinise and the Gary Sinise Foundation are hosting 800 families of fallen military heroes at Walt Disney World Resort as part of its Snowball Express Program.


The five-day experience kicked off on December 3, and runs through today, December 7.


The trip began with around 2,000 family members from all across the country flying to Orlando aboard The Snowball Express to enjoy a magical stay here in Orlando, at Walt Disney World.


The Snowball Express Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Special Walk Of Gratitude

Now, Walt Disney World have shared some incredibly moving scenes from yesterday, as more than 1,000 Disney VoluntEARS lined Main Street, U.S.A. to welcome more than 1,850 children and surviving spouses & families of fallen military heroes during a special Walk of Gratitude as part of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s SnowballExpress.


The Snowball Express Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Special Walk Of Gratitude

At sunrise, more than 1,850 children and surviving spouses and the families of fallen military heroes were greeted by more than 1,000 Disney VoluntEARS – along Main Street, U.S.A., as they walked toward Cinderella Castle to participate in a moving ceremony to honor their fallen parents.


The special Castle stage moment culminated when messages the children wrote to their lost parents were sent skyward for them to read with the help of Disney magic.


The Snowball Express Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Special Walk Of Gratitude

The Snowball Express is a five-day healing retreat that serves the children of fallen military heroes, surviving spouses, and their families.


Throughout the annual event, these families have an opportunity to bond with the only people who can truly understand their loss: one another.


The Snowball Express Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Special Walk Of Gratitude

Snowball Express was started after the publication of a letter from a soldier to his wife. U.S. Army Private First Class Jesse Givens had left the letter behind when he deployed to Iraq, instructing her in a note on the envelope to only open it if something happened to him.


Following his death in Iraq while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom May 3, 2003, his wife opened the letter. It conveyed how much he loved his family and the things that he wanted them to do. Among his requests was that his wife make sure she took their children to Disney Parks.


After the letter was published, readers believed hundreds of other families were in the same situation and took the families to Disneyland Resort in 2006 as most participants lived in California. Gary Sinise became involved with Snowball Express a year later where he would volunteer his band The Lt. Dan Band to perform every year since.


As the event grew larger, it moved to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas in 2009. The program officially became part of the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2017 and moved to Walt Disney World Resort in 2018.


The Snowball Express Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Special Walk Of Gratitude

“While our hearts are heavy at the circumstances that brought these families together, I am grateful we can honor them, remembering their loved ones who are no longer with us, as we wrap our arms around each and every one of them,” said actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise.


“As we approach the holiday season, I am so glad that for the first time since our amazing event in 2019, we are once again able to bring these deserving families together to create new and wonderful memories at the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World Resort.”


The Snowball Express Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Special Walk Of Gratitude

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