AMERICAN HELLENIC EDUCATIONAL PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION

AMERICAN HELLENIC EDUCATIONAL  PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION

A message from the AHEPA Headquarters November 7, 2018 AHEPA Congratulates Legislative Champions WASHINGTON, DC - Supreme President George E. Loucas issued the followingstatement on the outcome of the 2018 midterm election:  "We congratulate the champions of the American Hellenic community who won re-election to Congress, including: Hellenic Caucus Co-Chairs U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis and Carolyn Maloney; Hellenic Caucus members U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist, John Sarbanes, and Dina Titus; and Congressional Hellenic Israeli Alliance Co-Chair Ted Deutch.  We look  forward to their continued strong support of our public policy priorities in the 116th Congress. "Further, we congratulate and welcome Representatives-elect Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and Michael Waltz of Florida.  We look forward to working with them in the new Congress. "Finally, we congratulate all Greek Americans, Ahepans and philhellenes who sought public office at the federal, state and local levels-whether or not they were successful in their bids-because we commend their passion and dedication to public service." # # #  AHEPA Receives Major Gift from E. John & Cleo Rumpakis Donation kicks-off "Century Capital Campaign" WASHINGTON, DC -  The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association E. John and Cleo Rumpakis (Order of AHEPA) is elated to be the recipient of a $100,000 gift from E. John and Cleo Rumpakis of Portland, Oregon, announced Supreme President George E. Loucas.  The donation, made in October 2018, officially launches AHEPA's "Century Capital Campaign" - a development campaign to raise $6 million by the organization's 100th anniversary in 2022.  For their generous donation, the lobby of AHEPA's Global Headquarters will be dedicated and named in honor of E. John and Cleo Rumpakis. E. John is a Past Supreme Governor and a Past President of Mount Hood Chapter 154, Portland.  He also has served on AHEPA's Cyprus & Hellenic Affairs Committee.  In March 2010, then-Supreme President Nicholas Karacostas presented him with the Supreme President's "Award for Excellence in the Preservation and Promotion of Hellenism" at AHEPA's Western Regional Banquet.  He has been a benefactor of Hellenic Classics for:  Portland State University, University of Washington, University of Portland, Reed College, and most recently, Willamette University.   Former Oregon Governors John Kitzhaber and Ted Kulongoski appointed E. John to Oregon's Heritage Commission, where he served for a decade.  He is a Realtor Emeritus, a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and a member of the American Hellenic Institute and Leadership 100. Cleo, a member of Daughters of Penelope Troy Chapter 32, is a DOP Past District 22 Governor and DOP Past Grand Governor.  She recently authored Hellenic Tour USA, a guide book of the Greek American experience covering all 50 states beginning in the year of 1528. "We are deeply grateful to E. John and Cleo Rumpakis for their unselfish gift to our capital campaign," Supreme President Loucas said. "The Rumpakises have been extraordinary leaders of the American Hellenic community and continue to set an outstanding example for all to emulate.  Thanks to their kindness, we are confident our ambitious capital campaign will be a success." "For nearly 100 years, the Order of AHEPA has upheld Hellenic ideals, fostered good citizenship and Brotherhood, and given back admirably to our communities through service, volunteerism, and financial contributions," E. John Rumpakis said. "We are proud members of the AHEPA family, and it is our earnest wish for it to continue to meet its worthy mission for the next century." Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, on the principles that undergirded its fight for civil rights and against discrimination, bigotry, and hatred felt at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 400 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Europe.   AHEPA's mission is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism.  For more information, please visit www.ahepa.org.  Fifth District Raises $60K for Cancer Research The Fifth District AHEPA Cancer Research Foundation did it again! The foundation donated $60,000 to researchers working toward a cure for cancer at its 29th annual gala, November 3. Fox Chase Cancer Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University/Children's Blood Foundation and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey each received a $20,000 grant from the foundation. The 30th annual gala is already in the works -- save the date of November 2, 2019. Since its inception, the foundation has donated $1.125 million to cancer research.  CosmosPhilly coverage   "Like" the foundation's Facebook page for photo galleries and updates! District 10 Donates $10,000 for Wildfire Relief The AHEPA family of Michigan donated $10,000 toward AHEPA's Greece wildfire relief fund. Omega Chapter 371, Sterling Heights; Henry & Edsel Ford Chapter 374, Grosse Pointe; V.I. Chebithes Chapter 391, Dearborn, and Daughters of Penelope DOP Thamyris Chapter 272, Grosse Pointe all contributed.                         "We are deeply grateful to the AHEPA family of Michigan for their generous donation," Supreme President George E. Loucas said. "We continue to encourage our chapters to donate." "Milk for Flint" Drive Readies a Sixth Delivery Michigan Ahepans are also prepping to fund their sixth truckload of nearly 2,000 gallons of milk to the residents of Flint, including thousands of children, who continue to have elevated levels of lead in their bodies. Since the "Milk for Flint" program began in 2016, Ahepans raised $20,000 and teamed-up with Kroger Company to deliver five truckloads of nearly 10,000 gallons of milk to the Flint community. Interested to help?Donate to: AHEPA District 10, 284 Mason Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 Hot Off the Electronic Press  The Ahepan Fall 2018 Catch highlights from the 96th Supreme Convention, our visits to devastated areas of Attica and Thessaloniki in support for USA-Thessaloniki International Fair 2018, and, of course, see how our chapters are working to strengthen their communities through service. check it out Congressional Hellenic Caucus Membership is 126. Help It Grow.    Although Congress is heading into the homestretch of the 115th Congress, there is still time to increase the membership of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues. AHEPA asks for your help, especially as U.S. representatives are back in their districts until after November's midterm elections. 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 its co-founder, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).   Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 126.   Is your U.S. representative a member?  Click here to find out. Download & Share: Action Alert to help you outreach to your U.S. representative  Don't forget to follow AHEPA on social media:                                  Join AHEPA Today! In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us. Join AHEPA Now 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.   Greek government, Church, strike property development deal Associated Press (Nov. 6)  Greece's left-led government and the country's powerful Orthodox Church have struck a tentative deal to end decades of discord over of large tracts of real estate both claim as their own.  read more Cindy McCain to Present Inaugural John McCain Prize Halifax International Security Forum Announcement (Nov. 1) Mrs. Cindy McCain, wife of the late Senator John S. McCain, today announced the winner of the inaugural John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service. The first recipient of the annual Prize will be the People of the island of Lesbos, Greece for their heroic support of refugees fleeing mayhem throughout the Middle East and Africa.  read more   Joint training at Souda a sign of 'strong' Greece-US relationship Ekathimerini (Nov. 6) Joint exercises by Greek and US special forces and training with state-of-the-art military technology is an indication of the strong Greek-American relationship, Major Michael Weisman, a spokesman for US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Europe, told Kathimerini.  read more   Archbishop Demetrios Joins Christian, Jewish, Muslim Religious Leaders in Solidarity with Pittsburgh Synagogue The Pappas Post (Nov. 4) Archbishop Demetrios, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States, joined other religious leaders at the Park East Synagogue in New York City, for a memorial event called "United Against Hate," an inter-religious gathering of Leaders in solidarity with Pittsburgh and the victims of the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue.  read more   4 Balkan countries to make joint bid to host 2030 World Cup Associated Press (Nov. 2)   The leaders of four Balkan countries say they will make a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup. The prime ministers of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania and the president of Serbia say their countries will make an official bid to host the soccer event in stadiums across the four countries. read more   As Exxon prepares to drill off Cyprus, tensions flare with Turkey New Europe (Nov. 2)   The drillship of ExxonMobil is reportedly expected to arrive in the port of Limassol on November 5 as the US energy giant plans to start drilling in Block 10 in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) south of the island later this month.  read more   Ukraine's president meets Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul Associated Press (Nov. 2)   Ukraine's president has met the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, as some Ukrainian clerics prepare to break ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.  read more Archaic Period Statue Fragments Unearthed in Greece Archaeology (Nov. 5) According to an Associated Press report, four pieces of life-sized statues and a triangular statue base have been discovered in a farmer's field in central Greece, near the town of Atalanti.  read more