Slash to receive award at L.A. Zoo’s annual Beastly Ball

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Rock icon Slash is set to receive a leadership award from the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. at its 41st Annual Beastly Ball this June, the group said Wednesday.

The Guns N’ Roses guitarist will be given the inaugural Tom F. Mankiewicz Leadership Award, which recognizes his longtime contributions to establishing environmental welfare programs. He’s also a trustee on GLAZA’s board and has supported the L.A. Zoo and zoos around the world.

The charity ball is June 18 at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Funny lady and GLAZA chairwoman Betty White hosted last year’s event, which helped raise $1.226 million for the zoo’s exhibits and various plant and animal species conservation projects, capital projects, and education and community outreach programs. She took over for her predecessor Mankiewicz after he died in August 2010.

Mankiewicz was a television writer and director (‘Superman,’ ‘Diamonds Are Forever,’ ‘Hart to Hart’) who advocated initiatives to promote opportunity for and interaction among the world’s diverse communities.

‘Tom championed the cause of saving and protecting wildlife and the environment through education and on-the-ground conservation,’ GLAZA President Connie Morgan said in a statement.

‘The biggest compliment for me is that it’s Tom’s award,’ Slash said. ‘I really adored that man. I miss him very much, and that aspect is very special and resonates deeply. Additionally, I profoundly appreciate the implications of the award itself. It’s a fantastic honor.’

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-- Nardine Saad
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