Pair of related benefit drives seek support for U.S. Troops and children in Iraq

Actor, director, and musician Gary Sinise will help California State University, Stanislaus kick off a series of special 50th Anniversary celebrations on Saturday, October 25 with a benefit concert featuring his “Lieutenant Dan Band.” Two related benefit drives seeking support for U.S. Troops and for children in war-stricken Iraq will also be conducted in association with the appearance of Sinise and his band.

Tickets for the concert, available through TicketWeb.com listed under Gary Sinise and at the University Bookstore, are priced at $25 for University faculty, staff, and military veterans, and $20 for CSU Stanislaus students. Those tickets are only available at the Bookstore. General admission tickets are $35. For more information and a link to the Ticket.Web.com ticket purchasing site, visit www.csustan.edu/50th, or contact the CSU Stanislaus Division of University Advancement at 667-3131.

Sinise, a noted actor probably best known for his role as “Lieutenant Dan” in the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump” and for his current starring role on the CBS television series “CSI:NY,” will be the featured guest of honor and performer on October 25 for the CSU Stanislaus 50th Anniversary Inaugural Gala. After the Gala dinner, Sinise will head to the University Amphitheatre for an 8:30 p.m. concert headlined by the “Lieutenant Dan Band.”

Gala tickets, which include a reception, dinner, and concert tickets, are $250 per person. Table sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels. Contact University Advancement at (209) 667-3131 for information.

Sinise’s talents with the bass guitar and numerous jam sessions led to the formation of the Lt. Dan Band which has since completed five tours for the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) and performs regularly for troops stationed around the world, including in Iraq, as well as for a number of charities. Sinise and the band have since committed themselves to supporting the USO and troops stationed overseas to show their support for members of the U.S. armed forces.

A pair of programs that help the U.S. Armed Forces, military veterans, and war-stricken children in Iraq, one of them co-founded by Sinise, will be conducted in October in conjunction with the upcoming concert. The Turlock American Legion Riders and the CSU Stanislaus Student Veterans Organization will partner with the University to conduct an “Operation Iraq Children” drive October 20-25 to collect school supplies, toys, sports equipment, and shoes for children in Iraq. The program was established in 2004 by Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand to help American troops in their efforts to assist children in Iraq. Donations sites will be set up on campus the week of the concert.

The Modesto chapter of the Blue Star Mothers, a national organization that supports the American troops and Veterans, will team with Modesto radio stations Sunny 102.3 and KFIV 1360 to collect food, personal hygiene supplies, and “wish list” items for the troops overseas during the week of October 6-10. Donations can be dropped off that week at the station, 2121 Lancey Street in Modesto. More information is available on the station Web site at www.sunny102fm.com.

University employees are encouraged to give generously to both worthy programs. More information is available in University Advancement, 667-3131.

The Lt. Dan Band is named after the character Sinise portrayed in “Forrest Gump,” a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination. The band was co-founded by Sinise and Kimo Williams who first worked with him as composer for a Steppenwolf Theatre production of “Streetcar Named Desire.” Sinise and some high school friends in Highland Park, Illinois, founded the famous Steppenwolf Theatre Company that later moved to Chicago.

One of Sinise’s high school classmates who performed in productions with him at that level was CSU Stanislaus Theatre Professor John Mayer, and both have continued as lifelong friends. The University is grateful to Professor Mayer for introducing Sinise to CSU Stanislaus and helping to arrange his appearance.

The Lt. Dan Band plays a diversity of music ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Linkin Park, from Aretha Franklin to Jimi Hendrix.

Sinise’s credits are extensive, spanning over two decades as an actor and director on the big screen, television, and stage. He started his career on television in shows such as “General Hospital” and “Knot’s Landing” and has played the role of Detective Mac Taylor in “CSI:NY” since 2004. Sinise gained critical acclaim on the stage, directed and produced movies, and followed his hit performance in “Forrest Gump” with starring roles in movies such as “Apollo 13.” Married to actress Moira Harris since 1981 and father of three children, Sinise has provided his voice for a number of children’s animated shows.