AHEPA e-News! - Vol. 10 Issue 38 - Wednesday, September 21, 2016 
Ahepans with Amb. Pyatt (center)

AHEPA Meets New American Ambassador to Greece
AHEPA met with new U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt, Sept. 16, 2016, in Washington, DC. Chairman of the Board Nicholas Karacostas and Executive Director Basil Mossaidis accompanied Supreme President Andrew Zachariades to the introductory meeting where U.S.-Greece relations and initiatives to promote and advance collaboration were discussed. Amy Reichert, Greek desk officer, U.S. Department of State also attended.

"AHEPA looks forward to working with Ambassador Pyatt to build upon the already strong ties between longtime NATO allies United States and Greece," Zachariades said. "We are confident he will be an asset to U.S.-Greece relations, and we wish him the best in Athens."

SP Zachariades with Amb. Lalacos.
Successful District Governors' Conference Held
AHEPA family leaders gathered for their annual conference in Washington, DC, September 16 and 17, in preparation for the 2016-17 administrative year. Community leaders from across the United States, Canada, and Greece attended and were briefed on membership recruitment initiatives and educational, community service and philanthropic programs.  On Saturday evening, attendees were treated to a reception at the Embassy of Greece hosted by new Ambassador of Greece to the United States Theocharis Lalacos and co-hosted by AHEPA Chairman of the Board Nicholas A. Karacostas, PSP. The reception featured a presentation titled, "The Greeks" by Diane H. Cline, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of History, The George Washington University. 

"We deeply appreciate Ambassador Lalacos and the Embassy of Greece for hosting us and thank Chairman Karacostas for being a co-host for the evening," Supreme President Andrew C. Zachariades said. "We also thank our AHEPA family community leaders for coming to Washington to plan for our upcoming administrative year. We look forward to continued success as we approach our landmark 95th year."
Watch & Share | AHEPA Rebuild Saint Nicholas Campaign Appeal Video


AHEPA released its recently-produced appeal video for the AHEPA-Saint Nicholas Capital Campaign at the 94th Grand Banquet.  Check it out and share it with family and friends!
AHEPA Remembrance | September Events of 1922, 1955
As September winds down, AHEPA reflects and remembers the catastrophic events of September 1922 (the burning of Smyrna) and September 1955 (the Istanbul Pogrom) and shares the following articles, journal pieces, and other resources with our audience for a more in-depth historical perspective and additional insight:
WASHINGTON UPDATE

Bilirakis Calls for Coordinated Effort with Greece to Combat ISIS Amid Global Refugee Crisis
Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues Co-chair U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) addressed Congress and the American people on the House Floor, Sept. 20, to stress the importance of working with Greece as it responds to the security challenges posed by ISIS amid a global refugee crisis. 
Congressman Bilirakis said, "As political and religious minorities are forced to flee their homes to find safe haven, we must work with our allies to ensure that those who prey on these individuals and sow fear internationally, reap only swift justice in return... Just as Greece stands with us in the fight against ISIS, we have to stand with Greece - providing technical assistance, surveillance and intelligence, and equipment - as it faces increased flows of refugees." 

Hellenic Caucus Membership at 137. Help It Grow.

 

ACTION ITEM | Help Us Grow the Hellenic Caucus!
Congress has returned to Washington.   AHEPA asks for your help to grow the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues to newer heights. Let's make a final push to ask U.S. representatives to join the Hellenic Caucus before the 114th Congress comes to a conclusion in December.  The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.  It is co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
  
Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 137.
REBUILD SAINT NICHOLAS SHRINE CAMPAIGN


 
THANK YOU!















AHEPA is determined to meet its Saint Nicholas Capital Campaign fund raising goal of $1 million. Donations--large and small--keep pouring in for AHEPA's #RebuildStNicholas capital campaign.  
  • ICYMI | Thank you to new donations from individuals, chapters, and districts and chapters to the #RebuildStNicholas campaign received in over the summer!  AHEPA and its affiliated organizations will continue to push to meet its $1 million goal.   THANK YOU!
Visit our #RebuildStNicholas campaign webpage.
ICYMI | AHEPA Rebuild Saint Nicholas Campaign Appeal Video

AHEPA released its recently-produced video for the AHEPA-Saint Nicholas Capital Campaign at the 94th Grand Banquet.  Check it out and share it with family and friends!
TAKE ACTION

Has your district or chapter organized a fundraiser for the campaign to #RebuildStNicholas?  Take action and support AHEPA's campaign today! Please tweet about your fundraising activity by using #RebuildStNicholas to share your work with the broader community!


PROJECT UPDATE
Thanks to a live webcam, you can watch progress being made with a first-hand look at the site where Saint Nicholas National Shrine will be build.
The Ahepan


ICYMI Check out the summer issue of The Ahepan! Share it with family and friends by forwarding this electronic version.
  
Read about how AHEPA celebrated Greek Independence 2016 and AHEPA Sunday. Get a recap of the Supreme President's Leadership Excursion to Greece, Cyprus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Israel. Also, don't forget to catch-up on the latest ways AHEPA chapters are giving back to the community through service.

Click on the magazine icon to read it today! 

Winter 2016-17 Deadline: November 1, 2016
Upcoming Events
 

September
24 | Testimonial Dinner for Past Supreme President John Galanis, Milwaukee, Wisc.
30 | Supreme President Andrew Zachariades visits District 20

October
18 | Metro Washington, DC area chapters banquet in honor of Supreme President Zachariades, Falls Church, Va.

November
5 | Fifth District Cancer Research Foundation Gala, New Jersey
Greek American News Digest 
 
Editor's Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.
 
 
Greece strives to absorb migrants as Juncker heralds stricter border controls  Ekathimerini (Sept. 15) As Greece struggles to absorb a continuing influx of migrants into already overcrowded reception centers and assimilate refugees into society, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday said that the bloc would introduce stricter controls on its external borders.   In his annual policy speech, Juncker declared, "we will defend our borders." "We will be very strict in terms of who can cross our borders and this is something that we are looking to implement by the end of the year," he said, referring to the new European Border and Coast Guard, which is to be mobilized next month.  read more


Greeks Appeal for Aid After Fire Damages Refugee Camp New York Times (Sept. 20) Thousands of people were left homeless after a fire tore through a refugee camp Monday night on the Aegean island of Lesbos, and the Greek authorities appealed on Tuesday to the European Union for more support in managing the migration crisis. The fire, which started in the island's main Moria camp, destroyed 50 prefabricated homes and dozens of tents, driving 4,400 migrants into nearby fields, according to humanitarian aid workers.  read more

Split Cyprus' Rival Leaders to Meet UN Chief on Peace Talks ABC News (Sept. 14) The rival leaders of ethnically split Cyprus said Wednesday they would meet with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon later this month to take stock of ongoing reunification talks and ask him to step up his personal involvement in the months ahead. Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, a Greek Cypriot, and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, said that much progress has been achieved in 16 months of talks, but key differences remain.  The Sept. 25 meeting with Ban will cover both what the two leaders have so far agreed, but also obstacles they still face in reaching a deal that would end the island's 42-year-old division. The leaders "will exchange views with (Ban) and will request him to intensify his personal engagement in the process in the months to come," the statement said following the end of an intensified, eight-meeting phase of talks held at the disused Nicosia airport inside a U.N.-controlled buffer zone. read more
  
 
Greece's old reliable: tourism boom helps soothe battered economy The Guardian (Sept. 18) Greek presidents are not given to speaking off the cuff. So when Prokopis Pavlopoulos went off script last week to entreat CNN's Christiane Amanpour to visit his country next summer, it was noticeable."This is a hospitable country," he said in a rare interview with a foreign TV channel. "Hopefully you can come back next summer. After all, the Greek people are always appreciative of those who care about them." Like Greek politicians across the board, Pavlopoulos did not miss the chance to advertise his homeland abroad. It is easy to see why. Tourism has become the mainstay of an economy not only locked in a perpetual fiscal vice - the price of being bailed out to the tune of more than €300bn - but languishing in the longest running recession since the second world war.  read more
  
 
Cyprus records best ever August for tourism arrivals  Ekathimerini (Sept. 19) Mediterranean holiday island Cyprus recorded its highest ever number for August tourism arrivals this year when the figure jumped nearly 17 percent to reach more than 458,000 visitors during peak season, official data showed on Monday."  August 2016 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month," the Finance Ministry said.In a clear indication that the economy is on an upward curve, August 2016 marked a 16.9 percent increase in tourism arrivals compared to the same month last year.  Only July saw more tourists for a single month, recording a record 482,000 arrivals.Tourists from Britain - the island's top holiday market - increased 9.9 percent in August to 172,236, while those from the second largest market Russia were up 36.8 percent to 122,843.  read more 
  
 
Greek Paralympians collect 13 medals including five golds Ekathimerini (Sept. 18) Thanasis Constantinidis will be Greece's flag bearer in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Paralympics in Rio in the early hours of Monday (Greek time), after winning two of Greece's 13 medals in the Games that concluded on Sunday.Constantinidis won gold in shot put in the F32 category, breaking the world record three times in the process. He then went on to win silver in the club throw of the F31/32 category.Grigoris Polychronidis, who carried Greece's flag in the opening ceremony, also won two medals, in boccia: He finished second in the BC3 category's individual competition, and landed bronze with the rest of the national team that was third in the same category. TheGreek team also included Nikos Pananos and Anna Ntenta.  read more 
  
 
Why the 'Greek Freak' isn't just another $100M man  Yahoo! Sports (Sept. 19)  It was one of those frigid December days in the suburbs of Milwaukee, and Giannis Antetokounmpo slid open the glass doors of his apartment and let the biting winds of Lake Michigan rush over him.
He spread his arms wide with his 6-foot-11 frame, threatening to touch the two distant walls. "Look at the water!" Giannis bellowed. "Look at the lake!"
To him, this was the most exotic locale on the planet.  read more




 
 
 
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