Tillman Honors

Moved to Serve

Tillman Honors serves as an opportunity to amplify impactful stories of service such as 2023 Champion Award winner Gary Sinese and our soon to be announced 2023 Make Your Mark award winner. Join hundreds of our supporters, investors and Tillman Scholars who embody the values of service, impact, scholarship, and humble leadership.

Interested in learning more or becoming a sponsor?

Contact UsBecome a Sponsor

Gary Sinese

2023 Champion Award

This year, we proudly present the 2023 Champion Award to Gary Sinese for his commitment to advocacy for service members and their families.

Gary Sinise’s stage, film and television career has spanned more than four decades. In 1974, at 18 years old, he co-founded Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company where he served as Artistic Director for seven years. He has starred in or directed over a dozen productions at the renowned theater, some of which played on or off Broadway. 20 years into his career, for his performance as Lt Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump, he received nominations for Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards, and earned the Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Board of Review and the Commander’s Award from the Disabled American Veterans. He is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and two-time SAG Award winner.

For nearly 40 years, Gary has stood as an advocate on behalf of America’s service members. It began in the early ‘80s, supporting local Vietnam veterans’ groups in the Chicago area, and into the ‘90s, when his portrayal of Lt. Dan formed an enduring connection with service members throughout the military community, and as he worked on behalf of the Disabled American Veterans organization, which he continues to actively support today. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sinise’s dedication to our nation’s active-duty defenders, veterans, first responders and their families has become a tireless crusade of support, service, and gratitude for all those who protect our freedom and serve our country.

In 2011, Sinise established the Gary Sinise Foundation with a mission to serve our country by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. The Foundation’s four programmatic pillars are their way of “doing a little more” for those who sacrifice so much for the country. Giving back to those who sacrifice for our nation and encouraging others to do the same has become Gary Sinise’s personal quest and what he hopes will endure as a legacy of service to others.

“While we can never do enough for our defenders and their loved ones, we can always do a little more.” – Gary Sinise