Celebrate Veterans Day with 4th Annual Salute to the Troops Free Concert Featuring Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band at Fremont Street Experience
VIP event to take place celebrating veterans travelling to Vegas from
Walter Reed at Naval Support Activity Bethesda & Fort Belvoir
This Veterans Day weekend, Fremont Street Experience will host the 4th Annual Salute to the Troops featuring a free concert from Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band. The concert kicks off Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st Street Stage. There will be an opening performance by country music artist Phil Vandel. Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band will take the stage directly after.
“Our active and retired military have made many sacrifices for our country. Fremont Street Experience is proud to celebrate and honor their heroic efforts the best way we know how – by throwing a rockin’ Salute to the Troops concert experience,” said Patrick Hughes, CEO and president of Fremont Street Experience.
Salute to the Troops is a multi-day trip sponsored & produced by American Airlines, which charters a plane to fly veterans to Las Vegas. The Mirage is the host hotel while in Vegas, and Landry’s Bubba Gump restaurant at Planet Hollywood will be hosting them for a pre-concert dinner. The concert, sponsored by the Gary Sinise Foundation, is free and open to the public. A VIP area will be set up in front of the stage to be exclusively used by approximately 150 veterans and their loved ones from both Walter Reed at Naval Support Activity Bethesda & Fort Belvoir. In addition to the Gary Sinise Foundation and American Airlines, this year’s event is made possible thanks to additional sponsors MGM Resorts International, Fort Worth Airpower Foundation, Greyhound Lines, Golden Nugget Las Vegas, Terry Fator, Landry’s Bubba Gump, and Fremont Street Experience.
Sinise is currently on the CBS series Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, he played Lt. Dan Taylor in the movie Forrest Gump and went on to star for nine seasons on the TV show CSI: NY. Sinise is founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping and honoring U.S. service members, veterans, first responders and their families. A program of the Gary Sinise Foundation, Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band, has a singular mission when putting on a concert: Honor. Gratitude. Rock and Roll. His band has performed for troops all over the world. It’s a high energy performance as the twelve-member group covers hits from classic to contemporary, featuring the songs of Stevie Wonder, Kelly Clarkson, Adele, the Zac Brown Band, and more – there are even swing tunes from the 1940’s. You name it, there’s something for everyone.
Whether boosting morale on military bases at home and abroad, raising awareness at benefit concerts across the country, or headlining a Gary Sinise Foundation’s Invincible Spirit Festival, the band entertains and inspires where they go. It is Gary’s mission to deliver a message of giving back to our defenders with every show.
ABOUT GARY SINISE & THE GARY SINISE FOUNDATION:
For nearly forty years, Gary Sinise has stood as an advocate of America’s service members. His interest began in the early 80’s with his support of Vietnam Veterans groups and the creation of Vets Night, a program offering free dinners and performances to veterans at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. His commitment continued into the 90’s working on behalf of the Disabled American Veterans organization which he continues to actively support. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Gary’s dedication to our nation’s active duty, veterans, first responders and their loved ones has become a tireless crusade of support, service and gratitude to all those who protect our freedom and serve our country.
Gary’s portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor in the landmark film Forrest Gump formed an enduring connection with service members throughout the military community. After several USO handshake tours in 2003, Sinise formed the “Lt. Dan Band” in early 2004 and began entertaining troops serving at home and abroad. The band has performed over 350 shows for military bases, charities and fundraisers supporting wounded heroes, Gold Star families, veterans and troops around the world.
In recognition of his humanitarian work on behalf of our nation’s defenders, Gary has earned many distinguished awards including the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Medal of Honor Society, the Spirit of the USO Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Doughboy Award, the Sylvanus Thayer Award, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award from the National Defense Industrial Association. In 2008, he received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. In 2012, Gary was presented with the Spirit of Hope Award by the Department of Defense, was named an honorary Chief Petty Officer by the United States Navy and in 2013 was pinned as an honorary Marine by General James Amos, commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
In 2011, to expand upon his individual efforts, Gary established the Gary Sinise Foundation. The Foundation honors America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. Through its R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program, specially adapted smart homes are being constructed for severely wounded veterans nationwide. Each one-of-a-kind home is customized to ease the everyday burdens of a wounded hero, their family, and caregivers. Other programs include Relief & Resiliency Outreach, Invincible Spirit Festivals, the Gary Sinise & Lt. Dan Band, Arts & Entertainment Outreach, Serving Heroes, and First Responders Outreach. Its latest program, Soaring Valor, is sending WWII veterans to The National WWII Museum and sponsoring an historian to document their first-hand accounts of the war.
The Gary Sinise Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, please visit www.garysinisefoundation.org.
About Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street Experience, a five-block entertainment district located in historic downtown Las Vegas features Viva Vision, North America’s largest video screen – 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the urban pedestrian mall. Viva Vision features nightly spectacular light and sounds shows with 12.5 million LED lights and a 550,000-watt sound system. Fremont Street Experience is a one-of-a-kind venue that includes free nightly concerts and entertainment on three stages. SlotZilla, the world’s most unique zipline attraction, features the 850-foot long Zipline and the 1,750-foot long Zoomline as people launch from a 12-story slot-machine themed takeoff platform to fly under the Viva Vision canopy. With direct pedestrian access to 10 casinos, more than 60 restaurants and specialty retail kiosks, Fremont Street Experience attracts more than 14 million annual visitors. Fremont Street Experience can be found online at www.vegasexperience.com.
Fremont Street Experience, a five-block entertainment district located in historic downtown Las Vegas features Viva Vision, North America’s largest video screen – 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the urban pedestrian mall. Viva Vision features nightly spectacular light and sounds shows with 12.5 million LED lights and a 550,000-watt sound system. Fremont Street Experience is a one-of-a-kind venue that includes free nightly concerts and entertainment on three stages. SlotZilla, the world’s most unique zipline attraction, features the 850-foot long Zipline and the 1,750-foot long Zoomline as people launch from a 12-story slot-machine themed takeoff platform to fly under the Viva Vision canopy. With direct pedestrian access to 10 casinos, more than 60 restaurants and specialty retail kiosks, Fremont Street Experience attracts more than 14 million annual visitors. Fremont Street Experience can be found online at www.vegasexperience.com.
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Article Name
Celebrate Veterans Day with 4th Annual Salute to the Troops Free Concert Featuring Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band at Fremont Street Experience
Description
This Veterans Day weekend, Fremont Street Experience will host the 4th Annual Salute to the Troops featuring a free concert from Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band.
Author
Judy Reppart