‘We have a great history’: Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band returns to perform fundraising concert at Cantigny

Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band last performed at Cantigny in 2015 after making nearly annual fundraising appearances in Wheaton for a decade.

The Academy Award-nominated actor and former Glen Ellyn resident, a longtime supporter of veterans and the military, is excited about his July 12 return.

“It’s a big fundraiser. It’s a big opportunity to support local veterans there,” Sinise said. “We have a great history at the park. When this came up, I wanted to jump at it and do it.”

“Rockin’ for Our Vets” will be held at Cantigny’s Parade Field, starting with preperformance entertainment at 5 p.m., followed by opening band Stolen Silver at 6 p.m. and the Lt. Dan Band at 7 p.m. Gates open at 2 p.m.

The concert will benefit the West Suburban Foundation for Disabled Veterans in Wheaton, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The WSFDV, which provides housing and other living needs to disabled veterans and their families, has selected 20 wide-ranging charities that will benefit from ticket sales. They include the DuPage Veterans Foundation, Honor Flight Chicago, the Pat Tillman Foundation and Guitars for Vets, to which Sinise has donated instruments.

“He’s so loved by everybody, from the veterans, the military and the first responders and their families. I thought, what better way to celebrate our community foundation also in light of our 20th anniversary,” said Michelle Senatore, WSFDV co-founder and president.

Starting with veterans night performances at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, which he co-founded in 1974, Sinise’s philanthropy accelerated after he portrayed wounded Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump,” for which Sinise received a 1995 Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.

Then came the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the resulting Gulf War.

“I just saw incredible resilience and selflessness among the men and women who serve our country and what they’re trying to do. I was inspired by that, and I wanted to give back to them and help them through,” Sinise said.

In 2003, he formed the Lt. Dan Band, a 13-piece unit that has since played hundreds of benefit concerts.

He expanded his mission in 2011 by founding the Gary Sinise Foundation to serve military, first responders, Gold Star families and others in need. He has earned many humanitarian awards for his work.

From 2006 to 2015, Sinise and his band performed nearly annually at Cantigny to benefit Operation Support Our Troops America, co-founded by Naperville’s Debbie Rickert, who “paved the way for us,” said WSFDV’s Senatore.

The one year he missed, Sinise played the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, where as a boy he served as a groundskeeper. The Lt. Dan Band’s last area concert came at his alma mater, Highland Park High School, on July 4, 2023, the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in that village.

“He puts on a fantastic show. I’ve seen many, many concerts in my time at Cantigny, and I’d put Gary at the top of that list. Gary is just a very energetic and dynamic performer,” said Matt LaFond, Cantigny’s executive director.

“It’s really a wide variety of cover tunes,” said Sinise, who plays bass. “It’s a fun, high-energy show. We just play one hit after another. We’ve just seen audiences forget about things for a while and have a good time listening to music.”

Tickets are $54 and must be purchased in advance. Shuttles will run between off-site parking at the DuPage County Complex and DuPage County Fairground starting at 1 p.m.

“I really hope the community comes out and supports the organization and hears some great music,” said Sinise, who emphasized his support for active duty service members and veterans.

“I want them to know that there is a grateful nation out there,” he said of the veterans, “that we do everything we can to appreciate them, and if somebody like me who’s in the public eye can show up and pat them on the back a little bit, play some music for them, that’s the least I can do to say thank you.”

• Tickets and information about “Rockin’ for Our Vets” at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, are available at cantigny.org and the WSFDV website, wsfdv.org. Tickets will not be sold on-site. Sponsorship opportunities remain available at WSFDV. There is also a “Treat a Vet” option to purchase a ticket for a veteran.