The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center has created the Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award, and the very first one will be bestowed on Dick Cavett on Saturday.

It will be handed to Cavett at the Kate's annual Summer Gala on the Old Saybrook Town Green.

The award is given to "an individual who embodies the spirit, independence, and character" of Hepburn, who was an Old Saybrook resident. Cavett is known for his wit and intellect, and, on his "Dick Cavett Show," he conducted a well-known interview with Hepburn, who didn't often agree to interviews.

The Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award is a statuette sculpted in Hepburn's likeness by artist Kimberly Monson, who is a Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts faculty member.

Gala attendees will enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails before sitting down to dinner and dessert. Live and silent auctions are part of the night, along with brief remarks honoring Cavett. The Eturnity Band will play, and dance teachers from the Arthur Murray Dance School will on hand.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center Gala, 6 p.m. Saturday, Old Saybrook Green, Main Street; individual tickets start at $250; 1-877-503-1286.