AHEPA E-News Volume 18, Issue 40 | Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Journey to Greece Benefit a Great Success For the second year in a row, the AHEPA Foundation's Journey to Greece Christmas Benefit was a great success, shining a light on one of AHEPA's most successful and enriching programs. AHEPA family and friends gathered at The Graycliff catering facility in Moonachie, New Jersey to celebrate the holiday and bring attention to the Journey to Greece program and the experience that it offers our youth. Guests were welcomed by master of ceremonies George G. Horiates, PSP. Shortly after, the evening's program began with an invocation by His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey and greetings from DOP Grand President Margaret Dritsas and AHEPA Canada President Emmanuel Constas. The Honorable Iphigenia Kanara, Consul General of Greece in New York, spoke to attendees as well before SOP Supreme Governor George T. Horiates and MOA PGP Maria Ana Pantelous introduced four participants in the 2024 Journey to Greece Program, who spoke to the crowd about their life changing experiences. Following the student testimonials, Supreme President Savas C. Tsivicos made a special presentation to Anastasios Efstratiades of the George W. Rentschler Foundation in thanks for becoming a grand underwriter of the Journey to Greece Program with his donation of $200,000. With the funds raised leading up to this event and from this event, AHEPA is close to meeting the goal of raising the $1 million necessary to establish the Journey to Greece endowment that will allow us to continue to offer this program to students at the lowest cost possible. Supreme President visitation to Ohio chapters On a whirlwind visitation to the Midwest last week, Supreme President Savas Tsivicos and Syupreme Vice President Chris Kaitson had the opportunity to meet with both Canton Chapter 59 in Canton, OH and Zeus Franklin Manios Chapter 88 in Warren, OH. In Canton, Supreme Governor John Karapidis was on hand to assist as new brothers were initiated into the Chapter. During this visitation, the Canton chapter presented the Supreme President with a donation to the AHEPA Journey to Greece Program, helping to get us closer to our goal of the $1 million necessary to establish the Journey to Greece Endowment. After leaving Canton, Tsivicos and Kaitson headed North to visit the brothers of Zeus Franklin Manios Chapter 88 in Warren, OH. During this visitation they had the opportunity to swear in fourteen new brothers, as well as to present the AHEPA Heroes Medal to Past Supreme President Franklin Manios. Special thanks to both Chapters in the Buckeye District for the incredible hospitality! AHEPA Family Celebrates Christmas at St. Basil's Members of the AHEPA Family were proud attendees of the annual Christmas program at St. Basil's Academy in Garrison, New York on Saturday, December 14th. Supreme Governor Dean Moskos represented the AHEPA Supreme Lodge at this event that celebrates the children who reside at the academy. Located in the Hudson Valley of New York, Saint Basil Academy is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's home for children in need. Since its founding in 1944, the AHEPA Family has been a staunch supporter of Saint Basil Academy and has donated over $1 million to help build dormitories for the students as well as to sponsor the AHEPA School building. Additionally, the Daughters of Penelope have sponsored the building and maintenance of the Saint Basil Academy swimming pool. Each year, the AHEPA gives each student at Saint Basil Academy a gift to let them know that we're thinking of them and that the AHEPA Family is always here to support them in whatever way we can. We'll see you next year! The AHEPA E-News is going on break for the winter holidays! We'll be back with the latest in AHEPA National News on January 8, 2025! Click to visit the Supreme Convention Page! Hot off the electronic press! The Fall 2024 AHEPAN is here! Read the latest issue of The AHEPAN today! Read the Issue! Publicize Your Chapter & District Events! Is your Chapter or District hosting an event you want publicized on a National Level? Starting this week, you can submit your event to have it posted on the AHEPA Website! Fill out the form linked below with your event information to have it publicized. Remember that this information will be public on our website, so keep that in mind before you submit personal phone numbers or home addresses. We recommend listing an email address as a point of contact rather than a telephone number. Submit Your Events! Upcoming Events & Deadlines December 31 | 2024 Dues Payment Deadline! January 5 | 91st Annual AHEPA Epiphany Banquet, Safety Harbor, FL 17-19 | SOP & MOA Greeks in Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, FL 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 Greece to scrap some bank fees for retail customers, parliament approves budget Reuters (December 15) Greece will scrap bank fees and charges for some retail transactions as part of measures to help households cope with a cost-of-living crisis, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday. His centre-right government also plans from 2026 to double the property tax for about 25,000 real estate properties that banks have on their books and are not in use, as it tries to boost the supply of housing and reduce rents. read more Lions, and a winged gold Eros: Major discovery in Greece sparks buzz among historians The Jerusalem Post (December 16) Archaeologists in Greece found an ancient monumental building adorned with marble lion sculptures and gold artifacts. The excavation began in early October near Aigio on the Peloponnese peninsula, about five miles southwest of the modern city, which is associated with an ancient city in the Achaea region, according to Newsweek. read more Greece Introduces Passenger Taxes for Cruise Arrivals in 2025 Travel and Tour World (December 16) Starting in 2025, travelers on cruises to Greece’s scenic islands will encounter newly approved fees. The Greek Parliament has sanctioned a tax initiative targeting renowned spots like Santorini and Mykonos, as well as other tourist-frequented locations. These charges aim to combat pressing challenges posed by climate change and over-tourism in the region. read more Greece Passes 2025 Budget, Defense Spending Gets Broad Support To Vima (December 16) The 2025 Greek budget was voted in by the country’s parliament late Sunday night, with 159 MPs voting in favor and 139 against. Defense measures received overwhelming bipartisan support, with an enlarged majority of 258 MPs -including from PASOK, Syriza and the Spartans- approving the expenditure. Only the communist party of Greece, the New Left and Plefsi Eleftherias opposed. read more Greece, Bulgaria Will End Border Controls, Expanding Schengen Area The National Herald (December 16) Bulgaria and Greece will as of Jan. 1, 2025 no longer have border controls, a move that will let Greece’s neighbor – as will Romania – become part of the now 29-member Schengen Area in Europe that doesn’t require visas for entry. That was according to a communique by the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, said Euractiv, with a meeting on New Year’s Day between their police services at the largest common border crossing point Kulata-Promachon marking the opening. read more Click the link above for the latest in Greek American Sports News! Celebrating 100+ Years of Brotherhood

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