Here is a (very brief) video clip of Gary speaking at the AARP Inspire Awards on December 3rd, and the AARP The Magazine write up about him can be found here.   

Gary was one of the recipients of the AARP The Magazine 2008 Inspire Awards.  He and fellow honorees received their awards during a private luncheon hosted by Barbara Walters at the New York Public Library on December 3, 2007.  The Inspire Awards (formerly called the Impact Awards) pay tribute to 10 extraordinary people whose contributions inspire others to action through their innovative thinking, passion and perseverance.

In addition to Gary, who is honored for his fundraisng efforts on behalf of Operation Iraqi Children, this year’s honorees include Caroline Kennedy (Community Service Advocate), Gladys Knight (Champion forDiabetes Research), Barbara Morgan (Courageous Educator), Liviu Librescu (Virginia Tech Hero), Helen Thomas (Trailblazing Journalist), Cynthia Kenyon (Pioneer in Longevity Research), Ed Boyer (Founder of Air Transportation Aid),Roslyn Hill (Leader of Neighborhood Revitalization), and Pete Garcia (Affordable Housing Advocate). 

Group photo of 2008 honorees (photo source: http://www.minonline.com/)

There are additional photos Gary at the AARP event and the OIC fundraiser in Ft Lauderdale-Miami (last month) at: Wire Image.

The evening began with reading congratulatory letters from Mel Gibson and Albino Alligator director, Kevin Spacey. Three short film montages were shown in between question and answer segments led by local film critic Phoebe Flowers. (In the coming days, I will post an entry about the questions posed and Gary’s responses; I wanted to get these photos up for everyone sooner rather than later).

After attending a screening of fellow festival guest Mary Stuart Masterson’s film The Cake Eaters, Gary and family joined guests at the Signature Grand for a reception in his honor. Gary also attended screenings of his movies Of Mice and Men and Wallace while attending the festival.

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Chairman of the Board John Boisseau presents the Career Achievement Award to Gary Sinise during the 22nd Annual Film Festival. Photo by J.R. Davis.

Gary Sinise during an audience Q&A at the 22nd Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Photo by J.R. Davis.

Special thanks to Jan Mitchell at Jan Mitchell & Associates, FLIFF and J.R. Davis for the providing the photographs above for use by Sinisefans.

The fine folks at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival will present Gary with a Career Achievement In Film Award on Friday, November 9th, 7:00PM at the Miniaci Performing Arts Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Gary is scheduled to attend the event which will include a collage of clips reflecting upon some of his memorable screen moments and an (Inside The Actors Studio style) audience Q&A. A reception will follow at the Signature Grand.

Throughout the festival FLIFF will present some of Gary’s most memorable movies: Forrest Gump, The Human Stain, Truman, Ranson, Wallace and Of Mice and Men.

As of tonight, tickets for “An Evening with Gary Sinise” are still available: $30 General Admission, $20 for FLIFF members. Please see: FLIFF schedule for details.

The Military Officers Association of America recognized Gary Sinise, the DuPont company and six other people for their support of the military, during the association’s 10th annual awards ceremony in Washington, D. C. on Wednesday night. Congratulations to Gary and all the recipients.

Read more about the event in the following articles:

America Supports You - MOAA event

BlackAnthem.com

The GI Film Festival announced that Gary will host a screening of Forrest Gump as part of the festival events this coming Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. Following the screening, Gary will be guest of honor at a VIP Reception to benefit the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.

According to their website, the GIFF is the first film festival to celebrate and honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces in film. They will present films from both established and new filmmakers; some will be fan favorites while others will be screened for the first time.

The festival takes place May 26th-28th at the Ronald Regan International Trade Center, Washington, D.C.

Tickets go on sale April 10th. Please visit the GI Film Festival website for additional information.

American Forces Press Service is reporting that Gary will be honored with the Military Officers Association of America Distinguished Service Award for 2007. The MOAA is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans and the corporate sector are supporting the nation’s service members. Dupont Corporation will also be honored.

The key elements for an individual to receive the MOAA Distinguished Service Award is selfless service, achievement of results and reflections of credit on the military community.

The awards will be presented in a ceremony on Capitol Hill on April 17.

Read more here.

Before the Lt. Dan Band took the stage to perform at the Second Annual “America Supports You” concert at the Pentagon on Friday, Gary was presented with the Superior Public Service Award for his support of U.S. servicemembers.

Read more about the show and see additional photos of the Lt. Dan Band performance at DefenseLink

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England presents the Superior Public Service Award to Gary Sinise. Photo by Helene C. Stikkel

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ — Gary Sinise, “CSI: NY” actor and producer, will be joined by fellow actors Dennis Haysbert; Robert Loggia; Joe Mantegna; Magnum PI’s Larry Minetti; Doris Roberts; Antonio Sabato, Jr.; entertainers Dom DeLuise and Fred Travalena; singer Al Martino; and Barbara Sinatra at the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) Salute to the Academy Awards on March 3. The black-tie dinner will honor prominent Italian Americans in conjunction with the 78th Annual Academy Awards.The NIAF Salute to the Academy Awards will be held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. It is also the culmination of the week-long Los Angeles Italian film, fashion and food festival.

Sinise will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award in Entertainment from Mantegna, NIAF celebrity spokesperson, during the dinner. Jack Valenti, former president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), will present a scholarship in his name to a University of Southern California student.

More information about the NIAF and this event HERE

On Saturday, March 18th, Gary will be honored as the recipient of the the first annual Pennsylvania Speaker’s Ben Franklin Award for Humanitarian Service at the 2006 Speaker’s Ball in Philadelphia. This annual event celebrates the March anniversary of the 1682 election of the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, the oldest elected legislative body in the nation. Proceeds from the event benefit the The Pennsylvania House Scholarship Program.Below is a link to the website for the event which includes the announcement about the Ben Franklin Award and a short write up about Gary and his accomplishments (and a nice photo of him too).

Speakers Ball

Ben Franklin Award

Congratulations to Gary, once again!

As mentioned previously here in the News and Updates, Gary was the first recipient of the CIMA Humanitarian Award. The mass and luncheon were held November 6th in Beverly Hills.Here is link to an article about the event with quotes from Gary and nice photograph as well. The Tidings Online

Thanks to Shere for the tip.

Gary will receive the Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) first Humanitarian Award for his work as a goodwill ambassador for the USO. The annual Mass and Awards Luncheon will be held on Nov. 6 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

From Tidings Online, “Sinise continues to work with Vietnam veterans whom he says have a visceral response to his “Forrest Gump” character, Lt. Dan. He also plays bass and travels with his musical band, The Lt. Dan Band, jamming tunes from Springsteen to Hendrix for U.S. troops in both the United States and abroad in countries such as Iraq. “

Read the full article: Tidings Online

Read more about the event: CIMA

We’re delighted to report that Gary was at Amherst College in Massachusetts last weekend to receive an honorary degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) for his work in theater and the movies, as a producer, director, and actor. Our congratulations on this well-deserved honor.