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 join his band in the University Amphitheatre for an 8:30 p.m. concert.
Tickets for the concert, available through TicketWeb.com listed under Gary Sinise, are priced at $35 general admission, $25 for University faculty, staff, and military veterans, and $20 for CSU Stanislaus students. For more information and a link to the TicketWeb.com ticket purchasing site, visit www.csustan.edu/50th, or contact the CSU Stanislaus Division of University Advancement at (209) 667-3131. Tickets are also available at the CSU Stanislaus campus bookstore. People are asked to bring their own small lawn chairs and blankets to the Amphitheatre which will feature an open setting on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Lieutenant Dan Band is named after the character Sinise portrayed in “Forrest Gump,” a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination. The band plays a diversity of hit music ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Linkin Park, from Aretha Franklin to Jimi Hendrix.
Sinise has played the role of Detective Mac Taylor in “CSI:NY” since 2004. He 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.” 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. Sinise’s band has done five tours for the United Service Organizations (USO), including Iraq, and has a strong commitment to supporting American troops as well as children impacted by the war in Iraq. Donation sites will be set up at the CSU Stanislaus campus the week of the concert.