Vietnam vet and political activist Ron Kovic, who gained fame as the subject for Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July,” will receive The MY HERO Project’s first Messenger of Peace Award on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The event at New Roads School’s Herb Alpert Educational Village will double as a fundraiser for the United Nations-sponsored International Day of Peace.

Kovic, whose autobiography was made into the Academy Award-winning film “Born on the Fourth of July,” has been acclaimed internationally for his peace activism, said Jeanne Meyers, co-founder of the Los Angeles-based The MY HERO Project, which is sponsoring the event.

Supporting the event is producer/director Stone and Tom Cruise, who played Kovic in the movie. The producer and actor have both made videos lauding Kovic, who was paralyzed on his second tour of duty in Vietnam and awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart.

Program highlights at the fundraiser will include live musical performances and showcase art from Shepard Fairey and Kovic, plus clips from the film. Journalist Robert Scheer, who is editor of Truthdig.org, will present the award to Kovic.

Kovic continues to be a champion for peace and the arts and a leading supporter of the My HERO Project, a non-profit organization that utilizes the media and technology to inspire, educate and empower people around the world, noted Meyers.

For ticket information, visit myhero.com/RSVP