More Soap Stars Joining The Nautica Malibu Triathlon

1 Wally Kurth and Heather Tom will be joining their fellow soap-stars-turned-athletes, Winsor Harmon, Alec Musser and Emily Warfield, September 14 for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon to benefit Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and its Pediatric Cancer Research Program. Los Angeles will again play host to some of the world’s finest athletes, celebrities and philanthropists when the 22nd Annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon, presented by Toyota, invades Zuma Beach on Saturday, Sept. 13, and Sunday, Sept. 14. Participants in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon will put their skills to the test on a course that includes a half- mile swim in the Pacific Ocean, an 18-mile bicycle ride along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway and a four-mile run along the sands of Zuma Beach. In addition to pushing themselves physically, competitors will be racing for a worthy cause. This is the second year that proceeds from the Nautica Malibu Triathlon will benefit the world-renowned Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and its Pediatric Cancer Research Program. Previously, the event raised nearly $780,000 for Childrens Hospital and organizers are aiming to raise even more in 2008. “The inspiring stories that emerge from the Nautica Malibu Triathlon every year, both from the athletes and the recipients of the generosity of all participants, continues to drive our efforts and make every year better than the one before,” said Michael Epstein, president, Michael Epstein Sports Productions, Inc. (MESP). “We’re proud of the dedication of the corporate teams, the athletes, the celebrities, Nautica® and Toyota to raise money for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, an organization that embodies the spirit of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.” “Over the course of its twenty-two year history, the Nautica Malibu Triathlon has grown into a first-class athletic event drawing competitors, celebrities and spectators from around the globe,” said Karen Murray, President of Nautica®. “But despite the athletic accomplishments, we’re most proud of the community that comes together every year and the commitment that each participant and spectator makes to supporting the life-saving work of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.” Dedicated to curing and preventing childhood cancers, the Pediatric Cancer Research Program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles provides groundbreaking treatments and therapies for some of the most serious and life-threatening pediatric cancers to children everywhere. “Through our ongoing dedication to medical research and disease prevention, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and its Pediatric Cancer Research Program is making strides in the fight against this terrible illness,” said Stuart E. Siegel, M.D., director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and professor and vice chair, pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. “We are very, very grateful for the generosity of all involved with the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, and we look toward the future with hope and an unwillingness to give up in the face of adversity.”