Gary Sinise will receive an honorary AARP Award for his work through his foundation that supports military members and first responders.

The organization announced Tuesday that Sinise will receive the honorary AARP Purpose Prize awards during a ceremony on Oct. 25. The Emmy and Tony award winner will be recognized for his work through his Gary Sinise Foundation.

Sinise's foundation — which launched in 2011 — honors military members, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. Some of his charitable efforts include building adapted homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders, uplifting military members and families through entertainment, mental wellness programs and financial support in crucial moments.

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Sinise co-starred in "Apollo 13" and "Forrest Gump," playing a seriously wounded Vietnam War veteran, and led the cast of "NCIS: NY" for nine season.

Five individuals will be awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, which honors people ages 50 and older who are making a difference through their "knowledge and life experience." Each of their organizations will receive $50,000.

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The recipients include:

AARP said 10 named Purpose Prize fellows will also be honored. Each of them will receive a $10,000 award to further the mission of their organization.

AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins said the recipients are "shining examples of a simple, yet profound truth."

"When we find our sense of purpose — that certain something that gives us a reason to get up and get going every day — we not only give meaning to our own lives; we make the world a better place for everyone," Jenkins said.

AARP also announced the return of its Inspire Award for a third year. The general public can vote for the AARP Purpose Prize winner they want to win the award, which grants the recipient an additional $10,000 for their organization.

A Georgia man who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 2001 walked free last week, and a podcast is being credited with helping to bring attention to his case.

"All this weight has been lifted," Joey Watkins said in a Sept. 22 statement. "I can’t even begin to express what I feel like right now. I’m finally an adult. I’m free."

Watkins was initially accused of fatally shooting Isaac Dawkins, 21, while he was driving on a highway in Rome, Georgia, on Jan. 11, 2000, one year after the incident occurred. 

Prosecutors pointed to Watkins as the alleged driver of a small, blue car that was involved in the shooting. 

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He was sentenced to life in prison despite having an alibi that his defense team confirmed through phone records and several people, according to the Georgia Innocence Project (GIP), which advocates for the wrongly convicted.

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Mark Free, the alleged shooter in Dawkins' death and passenger in the small, blue car, was tried separately and acquitted on all charges, according to GIP.

Watkins maintained his innocence for over 22 years, and in April 2022, Walker County Superior Court Judge Don Thompson overturned his conviction, therefore granting Watkins a new trial.

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The Supreme Court of Georgia unanimously affirmed Thompson's ruling in December 2022, and Watkins was released on bond in January 2023. He was officially exonerated on Sept. 21 after the Floyd County district attorney decided not to pursue further charges against him.

"Words cannot describe how grateful I am," Watkins said.

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Watkins received national support after his case was featured on the "Undisclosed" podcast, according to the GIP.

The podcast "investigates wrongful convictions, and the U.S. criminal justice system, by taking a closer look at the perpetration of a crime, its investigation, the trial, and ultimate verdict... and finding new evidence that never made it to court," according to the "Undisclosed" website.

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"We are very grateful, not only to our amazing co-counsel Ben Goldberg, Noah Pines and Meagan Hurley, but also that the prosecuting attorney exercised her discretion to do justice in this case and right the wrong of Joey's 22 years of wrongful imprisonment," GIP senior attorney Christina Cribbs said in a Sept. 22 statement.

Georgia is one of 12 states that does not offer financial compensation to the wrongly convicted, according to a GoFundMe page for Watkins titled "Joey Watkins - Exonerated and Free After 22 Years."

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Since his release earlier this year, Watkins has been spending time at home with his family and working at his family's used car business, Watkins Auto, according to the GoFundMe.