Also, William Shatner's Hollywood Charity Horse Show was a smashing success once again, raising thousands of dollars for AHEAD With Horses and Camp Max Straus. Thanks to all those who attended and contributed to these charities!

From the horse arena to the racetrack, from Calgary to Palm Springs to Chicago, our captain keeps boldly going, and going, and going...

Hollywood Charity Horse Show this Saturday

There are a lot of Trek-related special events happening across the country this weekend. This Thursday on the East Coast, Stephen Hawking (seen in "Descent") will be making a historic zero-G flight out of Florida. In the middle of the country, James Doohan will be memorialized when his ashes are shot into space out of New Mexico. But if you're on the West Coast, try to make the pilgrimage to William Shatner's Hollywood Charity Horse Show this Saturday, April 28 at the Equestrian Center in Burbank. This is his 17th annual fundraiser benefiting AHEAD With Horses, a therapeutic riding program for disabled children, as well as Camp Max Straus, a summer camp for underprivileged children.

The afternoon and evening activities include an Arena Show with professional equine entertainers and stunt performers; a Silent Auction that includes many autographed Star Trek memorabilia; and the Western Dinner Party with entertainment by Riders in the Sky, a Grammy Award-winning western music and comedy group.

Shatner's horse show is often just as eventful in terms of the caliber of celebrity friends who show up. In years past, the informal gathering has been graced by the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Ben Stiller, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Robert Wagner, Beau Bridges, Scott Hamilton and many others.

Tickets to the Arena Show by itself are $20, but with the Dinner they're $250. According to Shatner in a video on the Horse Show site, every single penny of that money goes to the charities; the event costs are covered by Wells Fargo and other sponsors. Visit horseshow.org and horseticket.com for more info.

If you can't attend this Saturday, Shatner requests that you consider making a tax-deductible donation to the horse show using PayPal.

Attire is western wear. No ties unless they're bolo.

Shatner Kitsch in Calgary Gallery

Up in his home country, an art exhibition will celebrate the Shatman in all his glory. UPPERCASE Gallery in downtown Calgary, Alberta, has announced "The Shatner Show," starting June 15 and running through August, featuring works inspired by the life and career of William Shatner from more than 70 illustrators across North America.

The illustrators range from award-winning veterans to emerging talents, each bringing a different perspective to the interpretation of the TV icon. But there are some common themes, according to a press release: Shatner will always be linked to Captain James T. Kirk, but he has worked hard to emerge as something more; he's simultaneously embraced and transcended his mythology. Illustrator Genevieve Simms describes Shatner's ongoing appeal this way: "If I had to compare Bill to an inanimate object and/or substance it would be polyester — an incredibly durable fabric that may not always be so fashionable but will continue to cycle itself through second-hand stores and vintage shops to continuously be discovered by new admirers for all of eternity."

The exhibition was the brainchild of gallery owner and curator Janine Vangool, who was inspired by Shatner's musical efforts in "Has Been." Vangool said, "My appreciation for William Shatner really grew from listening to his album while driving across Canada. Even though he's played some interesting characters through his career, as a real person he's even more compelling."

Shatner has personally endorsed the project by saying, "Every artist has their muse. Leonardo was inspired by the ceiling in the great chapel. Michelangelo found his art in the Italian marble. Who am I to stand in the way of all these fine artists and artisans who want to use my lumpy, aging face for inspiration? Some creators love a great sunset; some have in mind my bloodshot eyes. Nevertheless, out of awe, amusement, or pity, you should come and see this unique show."

All artwork will be for sale, and a portion of all sales will go toward the Hollywood Charity Horse Show. UPPERCASE Gallery is located on the upper floor of Art Central at the corner of 7th Avenue SW and Center Street in Calgary.

Complete information can be found at the project's web page, www.theshatnershow.com. Here you can see samples of the some of the artwork, including one depicting Kirk in "Arena" fighting the ... wait a minute, what exactly is he doing with that Gorn??

"Fast Cars & Superstars"

Such the Renaissance man, Shatner will hone his high-speed driving skills before the TV cameras this summer. ABC has announced the premiere of Fast Cars & Superstars - Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, a new reality series where 12 athletes and entertainers try their hands at stock-car racing while under the tutelage of six of the sports' most notable drivers.

"I jumped at the chance to be involved in the Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race," Shatner said. "It's every American boy's dream to get behind the wheel of a stock car."

The show will premiere on Thursday, June 7, at 8 p.m. EDT as a lead-in to the NBA Finals. Six half-hour episodes will show each celebrity training with a Gillette Young Guns driver, and explore the interactions and competition that takes place on and off the race track. The series will culminate in a one-hour finale where the celebrities will be coached from the pits by their Gillette Young Guns instructors, and compete against each other during a time-trial race. Other celebs taking part include singer Jewel, soap star Krista Allen, football star John Elway, tennis star Serena Williams, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, and others.

Watch for updates at GilletteYoungGuns.com; click on "TV Show" in the top menu.

This is not Shatner's first experience behind the wheel of a racecar. A year ago this month, he rode in the Toyota Grand Prix Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, placing 7th out of 14 celebrity drivers.

Honored for Philanthropy

Mr. Shatner's charitable efforts as demonstrated through his local horse show as well as similar riding therapy programs for children in Israel was recently recognized at a black-tie gala held at a resort near Palm Springs. He and fellow Emmy winner Sharon Stone were the honorees at the ninth annual Rick Weiss Humanitarian Awards. The event, in conjunction with a silent auction and a golf tournament, raised more than $3 million for various charities.

"It's a privilege to use what celebrity I have and do some good work with it," Shatner said, according to The Desert Sun. Videos from the event can be found at ShatnerVision, including Shatner's acceptance speech in which he reflects on the nature of altruism and the burden of fundraising.

Keynote Speaker at "TransVision" Conference

In late July our spacefaring, civilization-seeking captain will be in Chicago giving a speech on the topic "Outer Space: Beyond the Planet," at a conference hosted by the World Transhumanist Association. The ninth annual TransVision conference — an international gathering of futurists, innovators and policy leaders — will be held July 23-26 at the Fairmont Hotel in the Windy City.

The conference will address emerging technologies and how they will help society solve the grand challenges facing humanity, with emphasis on global health, the environment and space development.

Shatner will speak on the final day of the conference, Thursday the 26th, which is devoted to the "Beyond the Planet" theme — covering such topics as "future humans," the colonization of space, space tourism and future civilizations.

Environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. ("Henry Starling" in "Future's End") has been announced as another keynote speaker at the event, but his timeslot is yet to be scheduled.

Admission to the conference ranges from $125 to $675. Find out more at Transvision2007.com, and from this press release.

Iowa Town May Establish Kirk Museum

Riverside, Iowa, the small farm town which has made claim to being the birthplace of James T. Kirk — and which Shatner pulled a hoax on in Invasion Iowa — hopes to solidify their famous-son identity with a local Star Trek museum. Riverside's part-time mayor Bill Poch wants to raise money to establish such a museum on its main street to attract tourists and retailers. "If we can get people to come stop here and spend a little money, maybe we can revive our downtown," he said.

Riverside, population 928, has hosted an annual "Trek Fest" in June every year since 1985, drawing 10,000 visitors a year. And at a local bar called Murphy's, a plaque states that Kirk was "conceived at this point" — originally under the pool table, but the plaque is now hanging on the wall. A museum would help clinch the town's reputation as a ongoing tourist destination. "I'm no Trekkie, but Captain Kirk is good for drawing visitors and Riverside needs plenty of those," said local businessman Ken Wilkinson.

See the full Reuters article at this MSNBC.com link.