Annual AHEPA Family Leadership Excursion is Underway
Supreme President Carl R. Hollister leads the annual AHEPA Family Leadership Excursion to Greece, Cyprus and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, April 30 to May 11, 2018. The first stop: the Ecumenical Patriarchate to meet with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and to visit the Theological School of Halki, which has been closed since 1971 by the Turkish government. At the Theological School of Halki, the AHEPA family presented Metropolitan Elpidophoros, dean of the Theological School of Halki, with a $5,000 donation. The delegation will also visit Cyprus (May 6-8) and Greece (May 3-6; 8-11). AHEPA has organized overseas excursions since 1928. photo gallery
AHEPA Family Participates at Chicago Greek Independence Parade
The AHEPA family of Districts 12 (Indiana) and 13 (Illinois & Wisconsin) participated at the Chicago Greek Independence Day Parade, April 29. AHEPA is proud to have participated at every Chicago Greek Independence Day Parade since its inception.
Baby Elias in Urgent Need of Bone Marrow Transplant
A nine-month-old child of Greek descent, Baby Elias, is in desperate need of a transplant and will most likely find his match within the community. Baby Elias suffers from a rare immunodeficiency disease called NEMO. NEMO affects the skin and immune system and makes patients susceptible to severe and life-threatening bacterial infections. NEMO affects only boys and is so rare that Elias' diagnosis in October made him just the 22nd registered NEMO case in the U.S. Doctors did not believe Baby Elias would make it to seven months, but he fights on!
BeTheMatch.Org Baby Elias - Register Today
May is Older Americans Month!
Did You Know? AHEPA, through the AHEPA National Housing Corp., is a leading provider of affordable housing for the elderly in the United States through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 202 Program for the Elderly. AHEPA's Housing Program has developed 95 affordable elderly housing communities, totaling 5,049 residential units, spanning 21 states.
The Administration for Community Living just released its annual summary report on older Americans, 2017 Profile of Older Americans. Some stats:
Over the past 10 years, the population age 65 and over increased from 37.2 million in 2006 to 49.2 million in 2016 (a 33% increase) and is projected to almost double to 98 million in 2060.
The age 85 and over population is projected to more than double from 6.4 million in 2016 to 14.6 million in 2040 (a 129% increase).
About one in every seven, or 15.2%, of the population is an older American.
Register Today! | AHEPA Family Supreme Convention
Make sure you are caught-up on the details of the 96th AHEPA Family Supreme Convention, July 22 to 27, 2018, Atlantic City, N.J. Harrah's Hotel & Casino will play host for our annual meeting. Call 609.441.5000 to make reservations. learn more PDF Register Today!
The Ahepan
Hot off the electronic press! Check out the spring 2018 edition of The Ahepan. Catch a recap of from the Third International Leadership Mission, highlights from veterans being honored across the country, and preview the 96th Annual Supreme Convention in Atlantic City, N.J.! And see what our chapters are doing around the world in service to their communities in the Chapter News section! read it here
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
May
1 - 11 | AHEPA Family Excursion to Greece, Cyprus, Ecumenical Patriarchate
14 | Deadline: The Ahepan Summer 2018
16 | AHEPA Family Capitol Hill Day
20 | AHEPA Sunday (AHEPA Legacy promo video)
June
22 | Supreme Convention Registration Deadline
July
22 - 28 | 96th AHEPA Family Supreme Convention, Atlantic City, N.J.
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In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us.
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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 to upgrade its US F-16 military jets amid tensions with Turkey
DW (April 29)
The plan to upgrade more than half of the Greek F-16 fighter jet fleet was approved during a special meeting of the government's Council on Foreign Policy and Defense (KYSEA) chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the weekend, the PM's office said. "The council unanimously approved the implementation of the 85-plane upgrade program," according to Tsipras' office. read more
A key decision on debt relief for Greece might not happen until June
CNBC (April 27)
Greece might not get the complete picture of how its debt is going to be restructured before June, the head of the euro zone's finance ministers said Friday. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), Greece and European creditors have been at odds over how to reduce the country's debt burden. read more
Commentary | Greece's debt deal will set a precedent for how wealthy Europe treats its less fortunate nations
CNBC (May 1)
Not so long ago, at the height of the so-called euro zone crisis, the phrase "Greek debt" graced headlines and news bulletins on a daily basis, and remained at the forefront of investors' minds for weeks if not months at a time. In the current age of Brexit and Conservative Party resignations, that is no longer the case. read more
Greece Kicks Off $3.6 Billion Program for Solar, Wind Projects
Bloomberg Quint (May 1)
Greece is preparing to auction 2.6 gigawatts of solar and wind projects to attract investment and beef up the Mediterranean country's clean-energy credentials.
"From now on renewable energy production and prices will be determined by competitive tender process," said Energy Minister George Stathakis. The "move should encourage investments in renewable energy of 2.5 billion to 3 billion euros, especially in wind." read more
Cyprus-Egypt gas deal expected soon
Cyprus Mail (April 30)
Cyprus and Egypt will soon be signing an agreement to connect the Aphrodite gas field to the North African country, reports said on Monday. The inter-state agreement is expected to be signed sometime over the coming few weeks, Egypt's Petroleum Minister Tarek el-Molla told Egypt Today. read more Patriarch Bartholomew conveys requests on Greek orphanage and Halki seminary to Erdoğan
Hurriyet Daily News (April 27)
Patriarch Bartholomew conveyed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan their community's requests on the historical Greek orphanage and the Halki seminary in Istanbul, sources in Ankara have said. Erdoğan hosted Bartholomew in April at the presidential complex in Ankara for more than half an hour. read more
U21 Race to Milan: Stefanos Tsitsipas steals the show in Barcelona
Tennis World (April 30)
Alexander Zverev is still the man to beat on the U21 Race to Milan list but this week's spotlight goes to Stefanos Tsitsipas who played in his first ATP final in Barcelona, losing to Rafael Nadal in straight sets. read more
Paros Island is Greece's new hot destination
A Luxury Travel Blog (April 30)
Paros Island is part of the Cyclades complex in the Aegean Sea, standing out for its long blonde sandy beaches, the local cuisine and the strong winds, which invite surfers from all over the world. read more
Polixeni Papapetrou, Photographer With an Eerie Eye, Dies at 57
New York Times (April 27)
Polixeni Papapetrou, a photographer known for whimsical, eerie, somewhat disturbing pictures that often featured her children and their friends in odd costumes, died on April 11 in Fitzroy, Australia, near Melbourne. She was 57. The cause was breast cancer, said her husband, Robert Nelson, an art critic and professor at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. read more
