Princess Grace Foundation-USA presents Dick Van Dyke with their Prince Rainier III Award

NEW YORK, Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) is proud to announce that Dick Van Dyke will accept their prestigious Prince Rainier III Award.  Mr. Van Dyke will be honored at PGF-USA's annual Gala in Los Angeles on October 8^th, 2014 along with this year's 20 Princess Grace Award winners who are emerging artists in theater, dance and film, hailing from cities and states across America.

The 2014 Princess Grace Awards will take place in the presence of Their Serene Highnesses, The Prince and The Princess of Monaco.  The Gala, returning to LA for the first time in almost 30 years, will be sponsored by Dior Haute Couture with co-chairs Dick Wolf and his wife Noelle, Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay and Sidney Toledano and his wife, Katia.

The Prince Rainier III Award recognizes a renowned leader in the arts whose own accomplishments are coupled with demonstrated service to their community.  Past recipients of the award include Julie Andrews, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Glenn Close, George Lucas, Mandy Patinkin, Twyla Tharp, Denzel and Pauletta Washington and Cicely Tyson, which includes a grant of $25,000 to the philanthropic organization of their choice.

Gala co-chair Bob Iger shared, "Throughout his legendary career, Dick Van Dyke has touched hearts, lifted spirits, and spread joy and laughter around the world through his brilliant, timeless performances.  He has also used the spotlight to raise awareness of important issues, supported music and arts programs in our public schools, and for more than 20 years, he's made life a little brighter for the men and women at L.A.'s Midnight Mission.  Dick has entertained us all while making a very real difference in the lives of others, and we are proud to recognize his incredible career and character with this year's Prince Rainier III Award."

Five-time Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winning Dick Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, singer, dancer, and producer with a career spanning seven decades.  He has starred in films that have transcended generations like Chitty Chity Bang Bang, Dick Tracy and the family classic Mary Poppins.  His successful television career included the hit comedy The Dick Van Dyke Show and the drama series Diagnosis: Murder; and his theatrical pursuits have only added to his performance tapestry having earned him a Tony Award for Broadway's Bye Bye Birdie among many other memorable roles.

In 1995 Mr. Van Dyke was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.  He received the Screen Actor Guild's highest honor, the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2013 and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For nearly 20 years Mr. Van Dyke has been committed to volunteering at Los Angeles' century-old shelter, The Midnight Mission.  He has helped raise millions for their new building program and is there each Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and many times in between offering comfort and cheer.  He is also passionate about music and art in public schools.  He has worked tirelessly to help get programs funded to ensure that the young artists of today have the resources to flourish.  Mr. Van Dyke is the National Spokesman for the National Reye's Syndrome Foundation and is the first spokesperson for the Cell Therapy Foundation.

PGF-USA Executive Director Toby Boshak said, "The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is privileged to present the Prince Rainier III Award to Dick Van Dyke.  As an icon in the entertainment industry, Mr. Van Dyke is commemorated for using his celebrity to help people live full and meaningful lives.  He pursues helping children, teens, and at-risk individuals with the same passion and fervor we have witnessed in his artistry over the years.  We are honored to honor Dick Van Dyke this year.

ABOUT THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION – USA

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a non-profit, publicly-supported foundation, headquartered in New York City and founded 32 years ago by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to honor his wife, Princess Grace's [Kelly] legacy.  The Foundation's mission is dedicated to identifying and assisting emerging talent in theater, dance, and film by awarding grants in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships.  Since the Foundation's inception, more than 800 recipients have been awarded, totaling over $10 million. Some notable Princess Grace Awards recipients in Film include: Emmy winner Cary Fukunaga, director of True Detective, Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre; Jon M. Chu director of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, G.I. Joe and upcoming Jem and The Holograms; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Theater recipients include: Tony® Award winner for Best Direction of a Play, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer and Tony® Award winning playwright Tony Kushner; and Academy Award® winner Eric Simonson.  Dance/Choreography recipients include: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre's Gillian Murphy and Isabella Boylston and New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck; as well as choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown. 

For more information about the Princess Grace Awards program, please visit www.pgfusa.org

For table and ticket information: Lauran Huff/ Levy, Pazanti & Associates, 310.201.5033 ext. 3
[email protected]

SOURCE Princess Grace Foundation-USA