'Walk of Hope' to Raise Money for Actors' Equity, 10/3

THE GEORGE "BEST" COSTACOS CULTURAL AND CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION is organizing its FIRST ANNUAL WALK OF HOPE to raise funds and awareness for brain cancer research and the Actors' Equity Foundation.

The walk will be held on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2010 (Rain or Shine), at beautiful CARL SCHURZ PARK AT 86^TH STREET AND EAST END AVENUE in Manhattan. Registration will begin at  10:00 A.M. AND THE WALK AT 11:00 AM.    A musical program featuring young performers will begin at 1:00-2:00 p.m.  PREREGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED.  FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER, GO TO www.georgebestcostacosfoundation.com/events.

A recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, THE GEORGE "BEST" COSTACOS CULTURAL AND CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION was founded in 2009 to honor the memory of the late actor/singer and member of the Actors' Equity Association, GEORGE "BEST" COSTACOS who died in November 2008 of a malignant brain tumor.  The foundation's mission is to promote, foster, and advance the professional pursuits of young performers in theater, dance or musical performance, to support research to understand the etiology of cancer and to support improvement in the management of brain tumors.

This year, the foundation will support the innovative research of the laboratory of  David C. Lyden, M.D., Ph.D.  A leading authority on cell biology and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Lyden holds the Stavros S. Niarchos Chair at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center and is Associate Professor  of Cell and Developmental Biology and an investigator in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.  Dr. Lyden's pioneering work along with his longtime collaborator Dr. ShahinRafi, has published extensively in journals such as Nature, Cell and Science.  Among his notable findings, Dr. Lyden has identified two bone marrow-derived progenitor cells that form new blood vessels in tumors and regenerative diseases with clinical applications.  Recently, he has shown that hematopoietic stem cells - normally produced red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the bone marrow proliferate and mobilize to premetastatic tissue sites prior to the arrival and implantation of incoming metastatic tumor cells.

Dr. Lyden, who is also Assistant Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has received numerous distinctions and awards for his work.  In 2000 he received a Clinical Scientists Development Award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.  In 2003 he was named a Brown University Alumni Scholar and in 2006 he received a presidential science award from President AnAbal Cavaco Silva of Portugal.  Dr. Lyden  is co-senior author of the forthcoming book, "Cancer Metastasis:  Biological Basis and Therapeutics, the first ever book on metastasis.  He serves on the advisory board of the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. Dr. Lyden received his Ph.D. from the University of Vermont and his M.D. from Brown University.  He completed his residency at Duke Univeristy Medical Center and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The ACTORS  EQUITY FOUNDATION was created in 1962 and serves the purpose of voluntarily aiding and assisting the members of the acting profession...and to promote the theater arts.

George Costacos was born in Athens, Greece in 1964 and besides being an exceptional student, became an accomplished athlete, winning awards for gymnastics in the  BALKAN GAMES.   He also exhibited artistic talent in many areas at a very young age.  An award from the FULLBRIGHT FOUNDATION gave him the opportunity to study in New York.  His passion for jusic and the teather led him to receive countless kudos for diverse and prolific creativity as an actor and a writer, "carving the steady and significant course of a dynamic artists who has bewitched with his multifaceted talent, knows how to magnetize the lens of current events and puts his signature on every aspect of his work" - to quote a few of the glowing reviews in the abundant international press.  With his passionate sense of drama and "boundless energy."

 George Costacos died at the age of 44 in Hanover, Germany of complications from a malignant brain tumor.  The handsome singer/actor was laid to rest on November 23^rd, 2008 on his beloved island of Aegina, near Athens, Greece."