Tribute to

Ernie Anastos with Anna Vissi, Paula Abdul, Joan Lunden, and Jay & The Americans

NEW YORK: On May 21st more than 1200 invited guests and celebrities will attend the 14th Annual Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund "Evening of Stars Gala" at the New York Marriott Marquis honoring legendary news anchor Ernie Anastos for over 25 years on the air in New York. FOX-TV’s "America Idol" star, Paul Abdul, will guest host the event, sharing the stage with former ABC "Good Morning America" host Joan Lunden. International recording superstar Anna Vissi will perform live as will legendary hit recording artist Jay and the Americans, best known for the smash hit "This Magic Moment."

The evening will also feature a ten minute video with personal tributes to Ernie from a who’s who of celebrity friends including Regis Philbin, Walter Cronkite, Today Show host Matt Lauer, Emmy winner Mary Tyler Moore, Oscar winner Kevin Kline, Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, The Late Show's Paul Shaffer, Kathie Lee Gifford, Greg Gumbel, Rudy Giuliani, Jim Nance, Maria Bartiromo and others.

Appearing as special scholarship presenters will be: last year's honoree CSI: Miami star Sofia Milos, CBS MarketWatch anchor Alexis Christoforous, who will be presenting the Ernie Anastos Scholarship for Broadcast Journalism, Bob Costas (via video) and Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas. To date, the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund has awarded over $1 million in scholarships to students across the country.

This year's honoree Ernie Anastos has achieved the distinction as the first Greek-American TV anchor in the country. His early love of broadcasting further inspired him to acquire his own group of radio stations in upstate New York and New England. This year, the popular CBS 2 news anchor celebrates his 25th anniversary on the air in New York, highlighted by 28 Emmy awards and nominations, including the prestigious Edward R. Morrow award for excellence. In fact, Ernie’s remarkable career recently prompted New York’s FOX-5 to lure him away from CBS with a mega-million dollar five-year contract. Starting in July he will join the successful FOX Television Network as the flagship station’s anchor on the number-one rated evening news in New York.

As a seasoned TV anchor, Anastos has covered the gamut of major news stories from live coverage of breaking news to political conventions. On September 11th, Anastos anchored CBS 2’s award winning coverage of the World Trade Center attacks. He has also traveled inside Cuba and met with Fidel Castro with exclusive reports on the 45th anniversary of the Cuban revolution. Other assignments have taken him to the Vatican in Rome, and to the war-torn countries of El Salvador and Nicaragua. Ernie has also reported live from London on the tragic death of Princess Diana and won an Emmy nomination for his reporting on the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. He is also a notable author of a book covering the history of teen life in America published in 1983. Currently, Ernie is writing a series of children’s books, with a news theme, scheduled to be released next year. Selected by the International Who’s Who of Intellectuals, he is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Northeastern University with graduate studies at Columbia University and holds an honorary doctorate degree in humanities.

The HTSF is also proud to welcome back international recording star Anna Vissi. Anna dazzled guests at our 1998 Gala and we are delighted to welcome her back this year to sing a set of her biggest hits. Vissi is Greece's number one artist with hits including: Dodeka, Travma, Treno and Eisai. Following Last year's show-stopping performance at the closing ceremonies to the Athens Olympics, the legendary songstress' new English single "Call Me" is now at the top of the Billboard dance charts. Vissi is also working on a new English album for release later this year and the early buzz is nothing short of spectacular.

Also performing at the gala will be Jay Black, who rose to the top of the charts in the 1960's with his group Jay Black & The Americans. The band collected 21 hits during the 60's and 70's including "This Magic Moment," "Cara Mia," "Only in America," and "Come A Little Bit Closer."

Ticket prices are from $200 per person. A special youth ticket is also available for young adults 35 and under for $150 if purchased by May 9th (price will be $175 thereafter). Tables may also be purchased ranging from at $3500 to $20,000. Tables priced at $6,000 or higher entitle the donor to a scholarship in their name which will be presented at the gala. Nick Katsoris, HTSF President and General Counsel of the Red Apple Group, will serve as Gala chair and Hellenic Times publishers John (Red Apple Group Chairman) & Margo Catsimatidis (President of MCV Advertising) are general chairs of the event. To order tickets, to receive an invitation or for further information please visit our website at: www.htsf.org or call: 212-986-6881.