(Philadelphia – June 19, 2006) – The Eleventh Annual Albert R. Taxin Golf Classic, sponsored by The Wistar Institute, will be held on Monday, June 19, 2006, at the Green Valley Country Club in Lafayette Hill, PA. This year, projected net income from the Taxin Golf Classic is expected to top $120,000, higher than in any previous year, bringing the total raised in support of brain tumor research since the event was created to more than $1 million.

The event honors Albert R. Taxin, who died in 1993 at the age of 53 of an inoperable and incurable brain tumor. Taxin, a noted Philadelphia restaurateur, was associated with Old Original Bookbinder’s restaurant for most of his adult life. Funds raised support the vital investigations of scientists in the Albert R. Taxin Brain Tumor Research Center at The Wistar Institute, established in Albert’s memory by his widow Doris Rousso Taxin in 1994.

Former Philadelphia Eagles football coach Dick Vermeil will be among those teeing off in support of brain tumor research this year. Vermeil coached the Eagles from 1976-1982, taking them to the Super Bowl in 1981. He also coached the St. Louis Rams from 1997-1999, winning the Super Bowl with them in 1999 and being named Coach of the Year. He also coached the Kansas City Chiefs from 2001-2005. Major sponsors for the Taxin Golf Classic this year include Electric Factory Concerts, Evelyn and Ronald Krancer, the Taxin and Rousso families, Fran and Sylvan Tobin, Marcia and Ron Rubin, and RAF Industries.

An auction following the Taxin Golf Classic will include an original sculpture by Steve Tobin, best known for his bronze sculpture “Roots,” which stands before Trinity Church in New York City. “Roots” is modeled after the roots of a sycamore tree outside Trinity Church that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Other items on the block include a guitar signed by Hootie and the Blowfish, executive suite tickets to Madonna’s July 13 concert at The Wachovia Center, a week-long vacation at Palmetto Dunes in Hilton Head, four tickets and a ride on the Zamboni at an upcoming Philadelphia Flyers hockey game, and a “Beauty Master Class” for 15 at the Neiman Marcus Beauty School.

The Wistar Institute is an independent nonprofit biomedical research institution dedicated to discovering the causes and cures for major diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases, such as AIDS and influenza. Founded in 1892 as the first institution of its kind in the nation, The Wistar Institute today is a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center focused on basic and translational research. Discoveries at Wistar have led to the creation of vaccines for such diseases as rabies, rubella, and rotavirus; significant insights into the mechanisms of skin, brain, breast, lung, and prostate cancers; and the development of monoclonal antibodies and other significant research technologies and tools. The Wistar Institute: Today’s Discoveries – Tomorrow’s Cures. On the web at www.wistar.org.