USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award Honors Geena Davis For Her Work With See Jane Program

MCLEAN, Va., April 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe(R) winner Geena Davis will be honored May 1 as the recipient of the second annual USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award being presented by USA TODAY President and Publisher Craig A. Moon. The award recognizes her outstanding contributions as a long-time advocate for women and girls, and founder of the See Jane program. See Jane works to increase gender balance and reduce gender stereotypes in entertainment media made for children 11 and under.

Davis and See Jane will be feted at an award gala on the evening of May 1 at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Scheduled guests include: Adam Arkin, Polly Bergen, Zina Bethune, Crystal Allene Cook, Peter Coyote, Melanie Griffith, Natasha Henstridge, Allison Janney, Kathy Najimy, Mimi Rogers, Helen Slater, Dr. Stacy Smith, and CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler.

Guests will enjoy a silent auction and dinner with a special guest performance by Heather Headley, the Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award- nominated R&B singer.

See Jane is a program of Dads & Daughters(R), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making the world safe and fair for our daughters. As one of its major programs, See Jane is committed to improving gender portrayals in children's media. See Jane founder, Geena Davis says, "By making it common for our youngest children to see everywhere a balance of active and complex male and female characters, girls and boys will grow up to empathize with and care more about each others' stories."

"We are very pleased to present our second annual Hollywood Hero award to Ms. Davis. Her work in advancing gender equity in media for children is all the more inspiring in that she has accomplished so much with her efforts while continuing with such a remarkable acting career," said USA TODAY President and Publisher Craig Moon.

In what has become a USA TODAY signature event, the USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award is presented annually to an entertainment personality who has made remarkable contributions of time and energy with a non-profit organization, and has truly enriched the quality of life for others. The USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award recipient is unique in that his or her efforts extend far beyond a charitable contribution or simply lending one's celebrity to enhance a cause or concern.

About Geena Davis

Academy Award-winner Geena Davis continues to be one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors. Earning the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama, Davis broke ground in her portrayal of the first female President of the United States in ABC's hit show "Commander in Chief."

In 1989, Davis received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the offbeat dog trainer Muriel Pritchett in Lawrence Kasdan's "The Accidental Tourist." She was again nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance as Thelma in Ridley Scott's "Thelma and Louise," in which she co-starred with Susan Sarandon.

Davis received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for her portrayals of a political speech writer in "Speechless," a film which she also co-produced, and as a baseball phenomenon in "A League of Their Own."

Davis made her feature film debut starring opposite Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie." She went on to star in such films as "The Fly," "Beetlejuice," "Earth Girls are Easy," "Angie," "The Long Kiss Goodnight," and "Stuart Little."

Davis, a member of the genius society Mensa, is also a trustee of the Women's Sports Foundation, and supports Title IX and girls' participation in sports through her own website, GeenaTakesAim.com.

Although she took up the sport in 1997, Davis was one of only 32 women to qualify to compete in the 2000 Olympic Trials for archery. She attained the rank of thirteenth in the nation the following year.

A long-time advocate for women and girls, Davis is the founder of the See Jane program. See Jane is dedicated to advocating balance in gender representation and to increasing the percentages of female characters and reduce stereotyping in media made for children 11 and under.

About See Jane

Gender equity has progressed in many ways, but male characters still dominate television, movies, and other media for young children. Since women and girls make up half of the human race, the presence of a wide variety of female characters in our children's earliest media is essential for both girls' and boys' development.

See Jane engages professionals and parents to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters -- and to reduce gender stereotyping -- in media made for children 11 and under.

In collaboration with Ms. Davis and an Advisory Board of media professionals and educators, the project is administered by the respected national non-profit Dads and Daughters, whose advocacy has changed public policy and corporate marketing. Research, education, and collaboration are the project's hallmarks as they work hand-in-hand with professionals to improve children's earliest media exposure from the inside out. For more information, log on to http://www.seejane.org/.

About USA TODAY

USA TODAY, the nation's top-selling newspaper, will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on September 15th, 2007. It is published via satellite at 36 locations in the USA and at four sites abroad. With a total average daily circulation of 2.3 million, USA TODAY is available worldwide. USA TODAY is published by Gannett Co., Inc. . The USA TODAY brand also includes: USATODAY.com, an award-winning news and information Web site that is updated 24 hours per day; USA TODAY Sports Weekly, a magazine for enthusiasts of professional football and baseball; and USA TODAY LIVE, the television arm of the USA TODAY brand that brings the spirit and quality of the newspaper to television.