Sam Waterston to Co-Host Indianapolis Prize Gala September 27

WTHR.com (Channel 13) Indianapolis, Indiana reports that on Saturday, September 27, Sam Waterston (Law & Order) and actress Jane Alexander will host a gala event where the Indianapolis Prize will be awarded.

According to the web site for the Indianapolis Prize, it is awarded “every other year to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to conservation efforts involving a single animal species or multiple species” and “is the largest individual monetary award for animal species conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree.”

Information on the 2008 recipient, field biologist George B. Schaller, can be found here.

Here is the press release from the Indianapolis Zoo:

Jane Alexander and Sam Waterston
Announced as Indianapolis Prize Gala Co-Hosts

INDIANAPOLIS --- Award-winning actress Jane Alexander and “Law & Order” star Sam Waterston, both avid conservationists as well as accomplished performers, will co-host the Indianapolis Prize Gala on Saturday, September 27. The Indianapolis Prize is the world’s leading award for animal conservation, and this year’s recipient, George Schaller, Ph.D., is arguably the finest field biologist of this era.

Waterston joins Alexander, who served as the emcee for the inaugural Indianapolis Prize in 2006. Waterston and Alexander are not only two of the most accomplished artists in the world, they are both enthusiastic in their support of the Indianapolis Prize and its goal to honor and celebrate the men and women who are truly making a difference for endangered animals worldwide. The commitment to the Prize by these two extraordinary people speaks volumes about what this award has come to represent within the worldwide conservation community.

Waterston is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the charismatic, tough district attorney Jack McCoy, in Wolf Films/Universal Network Television’s “Law & Order” series and for his film roles in The Great Gatsby, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and The Killing Fields, for which he received an Academy Award nomination. Waterston, known for his outstanding work in theatre, television and film, is a seven-time Emmy Award nominee as well as a multiple-nominee and winner of the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Growing up in coastal New England, Waterston has always had a bit of the ocean in his blood and a keen desire to protect it from demise. He currently serves on the board of Oceana, the largest international group focused solely on ocean conservation.

“We are extremely fortunate to have both Jane Alexander and Sam Waterston involved in the Indianapolis Prize Gala this year,” said Michael Crowther, CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo. “They truly believe in celebrating the men and women out in the field who are doing the hard work of conservation. Through their ability to communicate so effectively, we will heighten the awareness not only of the Prize recipient, but of all the nominees and of the cause of saving wild things and wild places for future generations.”

The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to inspire local and global communities to celebrate, protect, and preserve our natural world through conservation, education and research. This biennial award brings the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species. The Indianapolis Prize Gala is presented by AES Corporation, in partnership with Cummins Inc., and The Heritage Group.



Check out my blog home page for the latest information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site, All Things Law & Order.