CHARLOTTE, N.C. — American Airlines and the Gary Sinise Foundation took over 1,800 family members on an all-expenses-paid trip to Disney World for a special holiday retreat to honor their loved ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

As families approached the ticket counter with their carry-on and boarding tickets, they were reminded of their soldiers who died serving in the military.

“Not many people can imagine the unimaginable, but we’ve been there, and to be with other families that have been through that, it makes you feel like you’re not alone,” said Bonnie Angus, a passenger on the Snowball Express to Orlando.

The Snowball Express is the second Gary Sinise Foundation trip Angus and her daughter have been on after her husband, Daniel Angus died serving in Afghanistan in 2010.

“He had wanted to be a Marine since he was 2 years old. He joined the Marine Corps right out of high school, he served seven years in the Marine Corps and it was just his life and then it became our life,” Angus said.

The annual retreat will take Angus and her daughter to the Walt Disney World Resort for five days, granting them and other families the opportunity to connect and heal through a unique shared experience.

“We love being in a place where it feels like home away from home along with other families that you can relate to,” Angus said.

Families are also provided with resources to support and guide them through their loss during the holiday season.

“It gives me goosebumps when I think about it. I’m glad to be here to help honor him and remember him, along with all the other fallen heroes and their families. There’s no word to describe the feeling that you get from it,” Angus said.

The families traveled on 11 donated American Airlines charter planes staffed with all-volunteer crews.