AHEPA E-News Volume 16, Issue 28 | Wednesday, July 13, 2022

AHEPA Hosts Dinner for Greece's Chief Military Officer

AHEPA hosted a welcome dinner in honor of General Konstantinos Floros, chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, and Mrs. Floros, at Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington, D.C., July 11. General Floros is visiting Washington for a series of meetings with U.S. government and military officials.  "It was a pleasure to host General and Mrs. Floros and to welcome them to Washington," Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas said. "We conveyed our appreciation for the General Floros' service and leadership of the Hellenic Armed Forces, especially during such a tense time in an increasingly important geostrategic part of the world. We wished him the best for a successful and productive set of meetings." On behalf of AHEPA, Kokotas added his gratitude to Past Supreme Governor Peter Baltis, who sponsored the dinner.

Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Alexandra Papadopoulou accompanied General Floros, and Ambassador of Cyprus to the U.S. Marios Lysiotis also attended. Chairman of the Board Nicholas Karacostas, PSP; AHEPA Supreme Lodge and Board of Trustees officers, Executive Director Basil Mossaidis, Daughters of Penelope Executive Director Elena Saviolakis, and heads of DC-based Greek American organizations, were among the 30 persons who attended. Earlier in the day, Supreme President Kokotas met with General Floros. They held a substantive discussion, and Kokotas presented him with a gift. more on Floros' visit

Take Action! AHEPA Centennial Resolution

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a resolution commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Order of AHEPA’s founding on June 15, 2022. The resolution, S.Res.675, rests with the Senate Judiciary Committee (committee members).  Help us gain support for the resolution. Ensure your U.S. senators become co-sponsors, especially if your senator(s) serves on the Judiciary Committee.  Ask them to co-sponsor S.Res.675! Resolution text Find/Contact Your U.S. Senators

The Ahepan Summer 2022 Edition Is Out!

The digital Summer 2022 edition of The Ahepan is out! We're excited to share news of receiving Greece's highest honor and how chapters are celebrating AHEPA's centennial anniversary. Also, catch highlights from Greek Independence Day celebrations, our Leadership Mission with American Jewish and American Greek groups, our annual Leadership Excursion, and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge's visit to AHEPA senior communities in Houston! read the issue

Are Your Ready? Centennial Supreme Convention Prep

We're just weeks away from our Centennial Supreme Convention and we can't wait to see you in Orlando! A quick update to let you know that pre-registration is CLOSED.  That means that if you haven't registered for convention as of yet, you will have to wait and do so once you get to Orlando.  AHEPA HQ will have a registration table set up and be able to register you on site. Additionally, A La Carte tickets to individual events WILL be available ON SITE only for as long as supplies last. You cannot reserve these tickets in advance, so if you plan on purchasing them, please visit the AHEPA Registration desk early on at convention.

If you are planning to join us, please make sure you've made all the reservations you need to. Have you booked your shuttle from the airport? Do you need a scooter to get around? Visit our convention page below and make any reservations you may have missed. We'll see you in Orlando!

Supreme Convention Page

Appeal for Ukraine Humanitarian Aid

Since opening the Emergency Relief Fund to collect donations for Ukrainian aid, AHEPA Global Headquarters is proud to report that our chapters continue to answer the call, and we encourage all chapters to keep raising funds for this worthy cause. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Ukraine as they bravely defend their country from a brutal, devastating, and unprovoked invasion by Russia. We hail the Ukrainians’ defense of democracy and freedom. The humanitarian ruin and loss of life has been catastrophic. More than five million refugees have fled Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion. These are staggering numbers not seen since World War II. The Order of AHEPA stands in solidary with Ukrainian refugees and families. The AHEPA Emergency Relief Fund is open to receive donations for humanitarian aid to assist the people affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. read our appeal

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

July 17 - 22 | AHEPA Centennial Supreme Convention, Orlando, Fla.

Greek American News Digest  Editor's Note: Editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and articles 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  Thessaloniki, Greece: World's Greatest Places 2022 TIME (July 12) The second most populous metropolis in Greece, Thessaloniki has long attracted foodies, so it came as no surprise that it recently became the first Greek city to be added to the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy network. read more We know Greek statues weren't white. Now you can see them in color. NPR (July 12) Walk through the Greek sculpture galleries of most museums and you'll see pedestal after pedestal of white, marble statues with sightless eyes. That's just how Ancient Greek sculpture was, right? Nope. read more Greek PM slams map showing major Greek islands as Turkish Associated Press  (July 11) Greece’s prime minister called Monday on Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to clarify whether a map displayed by a nationalist ally of Erdogan’s that showed several major, inhabited Greek islands as Turkish is official Turkish policy. read more 500-year-old icon looted from divided Cyprus repatriated Associated Press (July 12) A 500-year-old Orthodox icon that was looted from a church in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus has been returned to the island. read more On Greece’s Santorini, 13 cloistered nuns pray for the world Associated Press (July 9) Cruise-ship tourists crowding souvenir shops and couples chasing the perfect Instagram sunset throng the alleyway outside the Monastery of St. Catherine, steps from Santorini’s world-famous volcanic cliffs. read more Apartment investment platform Protio picks up €2 million to boost real estate sector in Greece tech.eu (July 11) The proptech platform’s ‘Rebuild-To-Rent’ model is addressing the housing crisis prevailing in Europe by upgrading old apartments and using advanced technologies to renovate and make them energy-efficient. read more Mitsotakis Welcomes NBA Legend Magic Johnson to Greece The National Herald (July 12) Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called NBA legend Earvin Magic Johnson, who is spending his holiday in Greece with his spouse, to welcome him to the country, the celebrity basketball player posted on Twitter. read more TUI forecasts record tourist demand for Greece this year Reuters (July 10) Holiday group TUI expects the highest level of demand for Greece on record this year, its director of Communications Aage Duenhaupt told Athens news agency on Sunday. read more