AHEPA Honors The Hellenic Republic,
Leaders of Government Greek Americans Present Prime Minister Karamanlis, President of Hellenic Parliament Benaki-Psarouda
with
Awards
ATHENS,
Greece-The American Hellenic Educational Progressive
Association (AHEPA), the nation's largest association of American citizens
of Greek heritage and Philhellenes, arrived in Athens, Greece on April 8
to commence the 78th Annual AHEPA Family Excursion.
It is a two-week journey, aiming to strengthen ties and promote
programs between American Hellenes and the Eastern Mediterranean region.
More than $140,000 will be donated to health and day-care
facilities and Orthodox Christian institutions during the course of the
trip by AHEPA.
Supreme President James greets President Papoulias as District 25 Governor
Dr. Barich looks on.
The
excursion started ambitiously as AHEPA honored the Hellenic Republic on
April 10, 2006 at a banquet with more than 600 persons in attendance at
the Intercontinental Hotel. According
to Supreme President Gus J. James, II, it is the first event of its
kind to be held in Athens in recent memory.
"We felt strongly this event was long overdue," said James, II who is heading a delegation of 100 Greek-Americans on the excursion. "We're proud of what we were able to demonstrate here this evening which was a commitment to Hellenism and an appreciation for the Hellenic Republic, its citizens, and their historic and modern contributions to the world."
AHEPA honored the Hellenic Republic with the inaugural "Spirit of Hellenism Award," Prime Minister Kostas A. Karamanlis with the "AHEPA Socrates Award," and President of the Hellenic Parliament Anna Benaki-Psarouda with the "AHEPA Pericles Award." President Karolos Papoulias received the Spirit of Hellenism Award on behalf of the Hellenic Republic.
According to
the Athens
News Agency, President Papoulias
thanked the AHEPA delegation and referenced the excellent cooperation he
has experienced with the organization, especially when he served as
foreign minister.
American
Ambassador to Greece Charles Ries also addressed the audience and
spoke about AHEPA's history in the United States and contribution to
American society.
The AHEPA Family delegation with children in front of the Hellenic Parliament.
The balance
of the excursion in Athens will include meetings with American and Greek
government officials, His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos, and a
conference at the University of Indianapolis-Athens Campus.
From Athens,
the delegation will proceed to Cyprus, April 13 to 17, to host a reception
in honor of the Republic of Cyprus and Mr. George Paraskevaides in
Nicosia on April 14. The
delegation will continue on to Thessaloniki, April 17 to 20, and conclude
the journey at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, April 20 to 24, where the
AHEPA family will participate in Holy Week Services and visit the
Theological Seminary at Halki.
"We're
excited about what we are doing to meet the core principles of our mission
that include the protection, preservation, and promotion of
Hellenism," said James. "This
excursion exemplifies our dedication to that part of our mission and we
look forward to sharing our experiences with our communities back home in
the United States."
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