INDIANAPOLIS — As people boarded their flights at the Indianapolis International Airport Saturday, terminal B14 connected 15 Hoosier families in a special way. They are all Gold Star families, who lost a loved one in the military.
Jennifer Dresslar takes her son, Austin, every year to honor his father.
"It's a blessing we get to honor him as we go," Dresslar said.
The Snowball Express by the Gary Sinise Foundation takes hundreds of families on a five-day trip to Disney World. Dresslar said this trips allows them to bond with other families and share similar experiences, but this also gives her extra time with Austin.
"I just love spending time with him, the one-on-one time we don't get here at home," Dresslar said.
The Clardy family lost their dad a few years ago. He went to Disney World with them once, and they still feel him on this trip.
"We always have him with us," Memory Clardy said.
While this is a trip to "The Happiest Place on Earth," the kids are able to create a support system they may not have back at home.
"This just shows what a Gold Star child is, what our military actually gives to our country," Dresslar said. "It's not just the military members, it's their entire family."