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Volume 20, Issue 8 | Wednesday, April 15, 2026

2026 Mavroyannis Scholarship Application Available

AHEPA Educational Foundation Chairman George Vorkas, on behalf of Supreme President Kaitson, is pleased to announce its continued partnership with the Mavroyannis Family to offer the Constantine and Patricia Mavroyannis Scholarship. The Constantine and Patricia Mavroyannis Scholarship is open to graduate students who are either Greek or of Greek heritage and are enrolled in a PhD program in either theoretical physics or physical chemistry in the Faculty of Science at a North American university. The scholarship is in the amount of $5,000 and will be awarded in the fall semester. Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Constantine and Mrs. Patricia Mavroyannis, this scholarship recognizes scholastic achievement and an interest and commitment to studying theoretical physics or physical chemistry by providing financial assistance to Hellenic graduate students to pursue their studies in these fields. The purpose of the Constantine and Patricia Mavroyannis Scholarship is to recognize the importance of education – specifically, to reward and encourage educational achievement by Hellenes in the fields of physics and chemistry and thereby support Hellenic contribution to the global scientific community. The scholarship honors the life and accomplishments of Dr. Constantine Mavroyannis, an internationally renowned career theoretical physicist with the National Research Council of Canada, and his wife Patricia. Supreme President Kaitson stated “We are proud to be able to continue our partnership with the Mavroyannis Family and assist in providing this wonderful gift to students who qualify. We thank all of our members for their staunch support of education.” Since its inception the scholarship has been awarded to 34 recipients. Click the button below to download the scholarship guidelines and application. Completed applications are due by June 1, 2026.

Click to Download Scholarship Guidelines & Application

AHEPAN Highlighted During Greek Heritage Night with the Tampa Bay Lightning

On Thursday, April 2, the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team hosted a Greek Heritage Night, celebrating the rich cultural ties within the Tampa Bay community and bringing together a dedicated group of fans for a unique game experience. The evening featured a Tampa Bay Lightning alumni appearance by former player and member of AHEPA, Chris Kontos. Kontos is best known for scoring the first goal in Tampa Bay Lightning history on October 7, 1992 as well as scoring four goals on opening night, a record that still stands to this day. Many of Brother Chris’ fellow AHEPA members showed up to support this excellent event. Congratulations to the Tampa Bay community!

ICYMI: AHEPA Mourns Passing of Hellenic Athletic Hall of Fame Member Petros Spanakos

The Athletic Department of the Order of AHEPA sadly notes the passing of Petros Spanakos on March 28, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. Petros, born July 26, 1938, along with his twin brother Nikos, were jointly inducted into the AHEPA Hellenic Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.  Both brothers were amongst the top amateur bantamweights boxers in the Country, jointly wining a total of ten Golden Glove Championship. In 1959, Petros earned a Bronze Medal representing the United States in the Pan-American games, where he befriended another American boxer, the young Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali. Petros and his twin brother Niko were recently named in the National Herald as among the top 20 Greek-American athletes of all-time. Read More

2026 AHEPA Congressional Banquet Sold Out!

AHEPA Global Headquarters is pleased to announce that our 2026 Congressional Banquet at the Mayflower Hotel on May 13, 2026, is sold out! We expect this monumental biennial event to be one to remember! Please find sponsorship opportunities linked below, and if you have any additional questions about the banquet and any potential availability, please contact AHEPA Executive Director Basil Mossaidis directly by emailing basil@ahepa.org.

Click Here to Become a Sponsor

A quick reminder, if you are planning on joining us for Capitol Hill Day on May 14th, you need to have already signed up by the April 8th deadline. If you did not sign up, we cannot guarantee you will be able to meet with your congressional representatives. Please contact Stefanos Gemelas directly by emailing stefanos@ahepa.org if you have any questions about Capitol Hill Day.

Attention all Aspiring Lawyers!

AHEPA’s National Parthenon Committee Invites all Sons of Pericles and all Maids of Athena to participate in the (Mock) Trial of a Lifetime at the AHEPA 104th Annual Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 26 – 31, 2026. THE PARTIES: The Hellenic Republic of Greece v. The British Museum and the United Kingdom THE CASE: Who Owns the Parthenon Sculptures? AHEPA will provide the Courtroom, the witnesses, and the judge - YOU try the case! Email completed applications to AHEPA’s National Parthenon Committee Chairman Michael J. Reppas II, Esq., LL.M.

Download the Application

Celebrate America's 250th Birthday with AHEPA!

Join the AHEPA Family at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown from July 26 - July 31 in the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, PA! We have an amazing week planned for you and hope you'll be able to join us! Please visit the links below for all you need to get involved! Registration forms will be available after the May 1st Delegate Reporting Deadline. Prices will be similar to past conventions. Book Your Room View Tentative Schedule Download Sponsorship Package

Note from the Editor Please note that the adjacent photograph that appeared in the previous issue of the AHEPA E-News, portraying the Greek Independence Day Flag Raising in San Jose, CA, is credited to Panayiota Good. Reminder, when submitting photos, if credit is required, please tell us in advance. Thank you!

Attention Chapters & Districts with Publications!

The AHEPA Publications committee is now accepting submissions for the annual publications competition, in which District or Chapter publications (newsletters etc.) are eligible to win awards at the 2026 AHEPA Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, PA. If your Chapter or District wishes to have a publication considered, please contact committee chair John Melonopoulos via email to john.melonopoulos@comcast.net in order to request a questionnaire. The deadline for competition submissions is April 30, 2026. Applicants must submit two copies of their publication with a properly completed questionnaire.

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.

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

April 15 | AHEPA Athletics Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Nomination Deadline 17-19 | Sons of Pericles Greeks in Atlanta Basketball Tournament 30 | AHEPA Publications Committee Submission Deadline May 13 | AHEPA 47th Biennial Congressional Banquet 14 | AHEPA Capitol Hill Day SIGN UP IS CLOSED June 1 | Mavroyannis Scholarship Applications Due 5-7 | Sons of Pericles Greeks in New York July 26 - 31 | AHEPA Supreme Convention, Philadelphia, PA Submit Your Events!

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 Greek police using masked migrants to forcibly push other migrants back across border BBC (April 14) Police in Greece have been recruiting migrants to violently push other migrants back across its land border with Turkey, according to wide-ranging evidence uncovered by the BBC. We have seen internal police documents in which guards describe how the recruitment of so-called mercenaries was ordered and overseen by senior officers. Our findings reveal allegations of brutality, with witnesses reporting migrants being stripped, robbed, beaten and even sexually assaulted. It has been claimed that mercenaries have been unofficially employed on the border since at least 2020. read more Greece’s Antikythera Mechanism upends timelines of technology The Jerusalem Post (April 14) An analysis of the Antikythera Mechanism’s calendar ring sharps how precisely the ancient device tracked time. Researchers concluded in 2024 that the ring likely contained 354 to 355 holes, an almost exact match for the lunar year. The study from the University of Glasgow applied techniques adapted from those used to study black holes. It built on attempts to recreate the mechanism that prompted a fresh look at its surviving fragments. Joseph Bayley, one of the researchers, said that previous studies had suggested the calendar ring tracked the lunar calendar, but that deploying two independent methods “greatly increased the likelihood” of this being correct and gave him “a new appreciation for the Antikythera Mechanism and the precision of its Greek craftspeople,” in a press statement, according to Popular Mechanics. read more Turkish foreign minister criticizes Greece-Cyprus-Israel cooperation Ekathimerini (April 13) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday criticized Greece and Cyprus over their cooperation with Israel, warning it could heighten regional tensions, in an interview with Anadolu news agency. “Cooperation between Greece, the ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ and Israel does not bring more trust, it brings more mistrust. It brings more problems and war,” he said. Fidan argued that Athens is pursuing “extremely dangerous policies,” adding: “There are very interesting aspects in Greece’s attempt to pursue a kind of policy that no other country in Europe follows alone.” read more Greece ‘shapes its foreign policy independently, does not accept instructions’ Ekathimerini (April 13) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday responded to remarks by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, stressing that cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel is aimed at stability and has “a peaceful purpose.”  “Greece shapes its foreign policy independently, it does not accept instructions, nor does it owe explanations to anyone,” the ministry said. The ministry added that Greece has consistently worked for peace and good neighborly relations, noting that “alarmism and attempts to distort reality are not helpful, especially during this period of regional instability and uncertainty.” read more Disease and division threaten Halloumi in new Cyprus-Turkey spat Politico (April 10) To get a grip on a deadly animal plague — and save Cyprus' famous Halloumi cheese — the country's farmers are willing to do whatever it takes, including slaughtering entire herds. But only if the Turkish Cypriots who share the island are willing to do the same. For the virus driving a highly contagious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the 180-kilometer demilitarized zone that has separated the Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish-controlled north since 1974 is completely irrelevant. However, approaches to reining it in vary depending on which side of the so-called Green Line you're on: The Republic of Cyprus imposes EU regulations and orders the culling of entire herds if even one animal in one unit is infected. The Turkish north is not obliged to do so. read more

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