News

Actions

Local families of fallen military return from trip on the Snowball Express

Posted at 5:06 PM, Dec 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-17 04:34:51-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- It's a national effort that's made its way to West Michigan providing support to children of fallen heroes who have died while serving active duty since 9/11.

Local families got an all expense paid four day trip to Texas and returned to West Michigan Wednesday.

The trip is part of a program American Airlines helps put on called Snowball Express, an opportunity to have fun and make memories with people who understand each other, with passengers having lost a loved one serving their country.

“When I lost mine [father], I was really sad and I didn’t really have this [program]," said 12-year-old Logan Sines of Whitehall.

Sines said his father, a sergeant in the U.S. Army,  passed away while serving his country.

“His name was Adam. I think he died when I was nine in 2014," said Sines.

This month, Sines had the chance to travel to Texas to join thousands of other families and kids like him. It was a four day trip he says he'll never forget; his favorite part was a medieval times dinner theater.

Sines said he also made a lot of new friends on the trip, kids that know what it's like to lose a family member in the military.

“It’s huge to me that he finally gets to experience something like this and be around kids that are just like him. There is no judgement, they know exactly what it feels like," said his step-mother Ali Sines. "Let their guard down and be kids again.”

If you would like to donate to the Snowball Express to help support the children of fallen soldiers, click here.