Duff to take part in AIDS Walk activities

NEW YORK, May 12 (UPI) -- Film actress Hilary Duff will take part in a ceremony commemorating the 24th annual AIDS Walk New York, organizers said Tuesday.

Gay Men's Health Crisis and AIDS Walk New York announced that at dusk Thursday, the world-famous spire of the Empire State Building will glow red to kick off the AIDS Walk weekend. Duff will lead a lighting ceremony Thursday afternoon, during which she will throw a prop switch to illuminate a scale model of the Empire State Building in the building's lobby for members of the media and invited guests.

Duff has will serve as co-host of the AIDS Walk opening ceremony in Manhattan's Central Park, and will then walk with her team called "Hilary Duff -- Walk with Love."

In addition, the "Stay Cool" and "War Inc." star appears in public service announcements and a variety of other AIDS Walk communications focused on prevention and encouraging New Yorkers to register for the event.

"In tough times, it's even more important for people to get involved," Duff said in a statement. "Everyone should find a cause they believe in whether it is something in your local community or something as big a global issue as AIDS."

"From sunset to midnight on Thursday, New Yorkers will see the solid red color, synonymous with AIDS awareness, beaming from the building. The red lights will serve as a reminder that AIDS is still a matter of great urgency in New York and throughout the United States," said Marjorie J. Hill, chief executive officer of GMHC.