Gary Sinise Foundation to Build Wounded Vet New Home
By Movieguide® Contributor
The Gary Sinise Foundation will provide Sergeant First Class Ian Prescott, a paralyzed military veteran, with a new home.
Prescott has struggled to move around his house since he was paralyzed more than 4 years ago.
“The kids’ rooms are relatively inaccessible to me because it’s just too tight,” Prescott said. “There are too many doors in one little area. And so it makes it really difficult to get back there and for one, check on and make sure they’re [alright] and [doing] what they’re supposed to be doing, but also to spend time with them.”
The new house provided by the Gary Sinise Foundation will allow Prescott more room to maneuver, allowing him to be more active in his children’s lives.
“Friends and family [are] a big motivator in my life,” Prescott said. “So being able to spend this time and share this time with them, I think it’s a big deal to me.”
The new home was anointed on Wednesday through the “Walls of Honor” ceremony, where friends and family write encouraging, spiritual and patriotic messages on the framework of the home, a tradition for all homes built by Sinise’s foundation.
When construction of the home is completed, it will mark the 81st home built by the foundation.
Movieguide® has previously reported on the work of the Gary Sinise Foundation:
In a new video, Gary Sinise and some of the veterans he has helped through the Gary Sinise Foundation talk about the homes the foundation has built and how they “support empowerment for our wounded heroes.”
Gary Sinise, an actor known for his roles in FORREST GUMP, THE GREEN MILE, and CSI:NY, started the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011. The organization provides support for wounded veterans and their families.
In 2012, the Gary Sinise Foundation launched the R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program.
According to their website, “Over ten years later, the Foundation is honored to have completed 79 mortgage-free smart-technology homes across the country for our most severely wounded heroes.”
In a new video, some of the veterans who have been helped by the foundation over the years, as well as how Sinise got involved.
Sinise’s role as Lieutenant Dan in FORREST GUMP impressed viewers and veterans alike.
“Gary’s portrayal of Lieutenant Dan was right on the mark,” one person said. “I mean, you know, the way — his anger and the way he treated people — all of that was perfect.”
Sinise was also inspired by his character’s story.
“[I was] playing a wounded veteran, showing that there was life after the injury,” the actor explained. “He’s able to pull himself up, make peace, and go on and be successful in life.”
This led to Sinise’s involvement with various veteran organizations.
“Engaging with our wounded on a regular basis…all those seeds planted there manifested itself into…the RISE program: restoring independence, supporting empowerment,” Sinise said.
One veteran shared, “It just felt like this huge burden and this huge weight was taken off our shoulders.”
“I don’t even know how to put into words what it means,” another said. “It’s impossible.”
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