Al Roker of NBC’s TODAY among Climate Leaders of Private Sector, Civil Society, and the Arts to be Celebrated at Earth Day Network’s Annual Climate Leadership Gala

Awardees at the May 14 event in Washington, DC, include 13-Year-Old Climate Activist Alexandria Villaseñor, Salesforce Chief Impact Officer and EVP of Corporate Relations Suzanne DiBianca, and Actor and Director Ashley Bell May 7, 2019 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earth Day Network will host the 2019 Climate Leadership Gala at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, on Tuesday evening, May 14. The 2019 Gala will bring together over 300 leaders of industry, government, and the NGO community to celebrate achievements and lead the path to a post-carbon future. At the Gala, Al Roker, TODAY Weatherman and co-host of the 3^rd Hour of TODAY, will speak and be honored with the Climate Visionary Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership on climate change. “For many people, broadcast meteorologists are the only scientists we see on a regular basis. They’re a trusted source of news and information, building a relationship of confidence with us through our daily interaction. With their trusted position in our lives, meteorologists can be the key to driving the climate message around the world. Al Roker has taken up this mantle with ingenuity, consideration, and passion to mainstream the challenges of our climate crisis and emphasize the enormous opportunities of meeting climate change head-on,” said Kathleen Rogers, Earth Day Network President. “Al’s dedication to communicating on climate change makes him a powerful advocate for our planet. Quite simply, he’s changed the world of reporting on climate. For this reason, we are thrilled to present him with our Climate Visionary Award on May 14.” Also being recognized at the Gala will be Alexandria Villaseñor, a 13-year-old climate activist who, since December 2018 has been striking weekly in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York City to urge climate action. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the newly-launched Earth Uprising nonprofit, and will be the recipient of the Earth Day Network’s 2019 Youth Climate Leadership Award. Ashley Bell, Actor and Director of Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story, will be honored at the Gala with the Women and the Green Economy WAGE® Leadership Award for turning a lens on the plight of the Asian elephant – one of the world’s endangered species. Chief Impact Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations at Salesforce, Suzanne DiBianca, will receive the Business Climate Leadership Award in recognition of her leadership in driving ambitious private sector climate action. James Cameron, Environmentalist, Explorer and Filmmaker, will be joining the Gala from New Zealand as the Special Guest Speaker to issue a call to action on climate change ahead of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020. Additionally, Charity Morgan, The Plant Life Chef and chef to 20 NFL players, will use the occasion of the Gala to announce a new Earth Day Network campaign focused on food and its connection to protecting the planet. “We are at a pivotal moment in the battle to address the climate crisis, made more urgent by the extraordinary impacts that climate change is already starting to have on national security, the economy and public health. In celebrating 49 years of Earth Day, the Gala also provides a forum to harness and advance the energies of the world’s most brilliant and passionate thought leaders in confronting humanity’s greatest challenge,” adds Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers. “This year’s recipients have shown a level of transformative leadership in an era of even greater challenge and we applaud their inspirational words and actions.” Washington DC Councilmember Mary Cheh will Emcee the evening. The evening includes a Cocktail Reception at 6 PM followed by dinner and award ceremony in the Grand Ballroom at 7 PM. 2019 Climate Leadership Gala sponsors include Toyota, Dos Gardenias, FullCycle, Foundation for Climate Restoration, Out Of Home Advertising Association of America, and positiveNRG. Purchase tickets for the 2019 Climate Leadership Gala For sponsorship inquiries, please contact [email protected] About Earth Day Network Earth Day Network’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 75,000 partners in nearly 200 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Media Contact: [email protected], 202-355-8875