AHEPA Hosts Successful 2026 Biennial Congressional Banquet

 

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association

For Immediate Release | May 14, 2026

Contact: AHEPA Headquarters Phone: 202.232.6300 E-mail: ahepa@ahepa.org AHEPA Hosts Successful 2026 Biennial Congressional Banquet

WASHINGTON, DC --  The Order of AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) hosted the 2026 AHEPA National Banquet at the historic Mayflower Hotel on Wednesday, May 13.  Mike Emanuel, Chief Washington Correspondent for FOX News served as the MC for the evening which, in addition to the the honorees, was honored to host Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Antonis Alexandridis, Cypriot Ambassador to the U.S. Evangelos Savva, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Ryan Mackenzie, Thomas Suozzi as well as Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis.

The evening's honors were as follows: Congresswoman Dina Titus introduced and presented Congresswoman Grace Meng with the 2026 AHEPA Pericles Award. Colonel Nicholas P. Vamvakias (ret.) received the inaugural Dilboy Veterans Committee Award, speaking to the importance of Veterans in the AHEPA family before local members of the Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena assisted in awarding over 30 veterans in attendance with the AHEPA Medal for Military Service. Dan Mariaschin, retiring CEO of B'nai B'rith International, received the 2026 Academy of Achievement award in Civics and Philanthropy. Paulette Poulos, retiring Executive Director of Leadership 100 received the 2026 Daughters of Penelope Spirit Award. AHEPA has actively promoted good citizenship and community service initiatives since its establishment in 1922, both within the United States and internationally. Furthermore, the organization has honored those who dedicate themselves to public service since 1927.

An official photo album will be made available in the coming days courtesy of the Cosmos Philly. AHEPA extends a sincere thank you to everyone who attended this year's signature event, making it the truly special occasion it continues to be. Volume 20, Issue 10 | Friday, May 15, 2026 AHEPA Celebrates Capitol Hill Day More than 100 members of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association family from across the organization’s domain gathered in Washington, D.C. for the 2026 AHEPA Capitol Hill Day, led by Supreme President Chris Kaitson. The annual event coordinated meetings between AHEPA members and their elected representatives in Congress, giving participants the opportunity to discuss issues impacting the Hellenic community, including F-35 sales and senior housing funding. The 2026 gathering also marked 20 years of AHEPA’s congressional outreach efforts. Kaitson thanked members for traveling from around the country to support both the 47th Biennial Congressional Banquet and Capitol Hill Day, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the voices of the Hellenic American community are heard by lawmakers. AHEPA Honors Veterans at 47th Biennial Congressional Banquet The Order of AHEPA held it's 47th Biennial Congressional Banquet on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. This sold out event brought hundreds of members from across the AHEPA domain to Washington, DC to honor multiple members of Congress as well as the the many veterans that AHEPA includes as members. Mike Emanuel, Chief Washington Correspondent for FOX News, served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. AHEPA was honored to host, in addition to the banquet's honorees, Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Antonis Alexandridis, Cypriot Ambassador to the U.S. Evangelos Savva, U.S. Representatives Dina Titus, Thomas Suozzi, Ryan Mackenzie, Gus Bilirakis, and Nicole Malliotakis. The evening's honors were as follows: Congresswoman Dina Titus introduced and presented Congresswoman Grace Meng with the 2026 AHEPA Pericles Award. Colonel Nicholas P. Vamvakias (ret.) received the inaugural Dilboy Veterans Committee Award, speaking to the importance of Veterans in the AHEPA family before local members of the Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena assisted in awarding over 30 veterans in attendance with the AHEPA Medal for Military Service. Dan Mariaschin, retiring CEO of B'nai B'rith International, received the 2026 Academy of Achievement award in Civics and Philanthropy. Paulette Poulos, retiring Executive Director of Leadership 100 received the 2026 Daughters of Penelope Spirit Award. Additionally, AHEPA Supreme President Chris Kaitson, Daughters of Penelope Grand President Antoinette Marousis-Zachariades, Sons of Pericles Supreme President Basilios Ronstadt, Maids of Athena Grand President Stephanie Owens, and Chairman of the AHEPA Foundation, Inc., Nicholas A. Karacostas, PSP, spoke throughout the evening. AHEPA has actively promoted good citizenship and community service initiatives since its establishment in 1922, both within the United States and internationally. Furthermore, the organization has honored those who dedicate themselves to public service since 1927. An official photo album will be made available in the coming days courtesy of Cosmos Philly. AHEPA extends a sincere thank you to everyone who attended this year's signature event, making it the truly special occasion it continues to be. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros proclaims May 17, 2026 AHEPA Sunday His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has proclaimed May 17, 2026, as "AHEPA Sunday" in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Encyclical, issued by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, states:  "Today, when we celebrate our annual observance of AHEPA Sunday, we take a significant moment in our Church Year to acknowledge the contributions of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association to our community. And not only to the Omogeneia, but to the wider American Society as well. This is because, as Isocrates observed nearly 2,400 years ago, to be Greek is truly a civilizational project. AHEPA, with its deep commitment and pride for our shared ethnic, cultural and linguistic roots, also recognizes the inclusiveness that our magnificent Hellenic inheritance naturally fosters." It goes on to reflect on AHEPA's commitment to fulfilling it's mission and more. Read the full encyclical at the link below. Don't forget to let us know what your Chapter or District is doing to celebrate this year's AHEPA Sunday! Send updates to stefanos@ahepa.org. Read the Encyclical! Download the AHEPA Day Planbook! Last Call for Journey to Greece 2026! AHEPA is pleased to announce that room has been made to accommodate a few more students for this year's Journey to Greece Program! As the deadline has already passed, we are making a special exception and allowing applications to be submitted until Friday, May 22, 2026! The AHEPA Journey to Greece is an immersive summer program that takes young students on excursions throughout Greece to learn about, appreciate and celebrate Greek society and culture. The program enables high school seniors (18+) and college undergraduates to earn up to six college course credits all while doing so. Originally initiated in 1968, the program transported a generation of Greek American youths to explore their ancestral culture and land. After a hiatus, it was revitalized in 2006 in collaboration with Webster University. Now in its 20th year, the 2026 AHEPA JTG program is accepting applications for individuals eager to delve into the rich culture and history that Greece offers. More information on the program can be found at our website or through the pamphlet linked below. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 22, 2026. Download Application Download Info Packet Houston AHEPA Hosts lunch in honor of Ambassador Visit Supreme President E. Chris Kaitson was recently able to participate in a luncheon hosted by his home Chapter, Alexander the Great Chapter 29 of Houston, Texas, in honor of the official visit of His Excellency Evangelos Savva, Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States. The Chapter was also joined by Consul of Greece Lambros Kakissis and Consul of the Republic of Cyprus Chris Angelides. AHEPA Brothers in attendance at the private dinner included Yanni Charalambou, Gus Pappas, John Zavitsanos, George N. Polydoros, Jr., E. Mike Spartalis, and Jim Gaspa. Congratulations on a successful Chapter event! District 4 Hosts Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Symposium On May 7th, the AHEPA District 4 Lodge hosted a Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Symposium to educate members and friends about the orphan disease. The event was live-streamed globally, and featured presentations by Dr. Janet Kwiatkowski, Dr. Aaron Chang, Dr. Scott Peslak, Dr. Laura Brenda, and Dr. Zissis Chroneos on advancements in the field of gene therapy. They presented cutting-edge research from the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, and focused on new technology that has extended the life expectancy for those who suffer from these diseases. Supreme Vice President Dr. Zenon Christodoulou and PSP George G. Horiates were able to attend the symposium, and thanked District 4 Governor Tim Vlassopoulos and his lodge for hosting the event. The AHEPA Cooley's Anemia Foundation was a proud sponsor of the symposium, which District 4 is hoping will become an annual event. 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   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 May 22 | Last Call for Journey to Greece Applications! 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 “Survivor Greece” suspended after contestant loses part of leg while spearfishing Yahoo Entertainment (May 13) Survivor Greece has been pulled off the air in the wake of a life-threatening incident involving a contestant “outside the competitive process of the reality show.” Stavros Floros, a 21-year-old beekeeper, was spearfishing during a break from filming in the Dominican Republic on May 10 when a passing tourist boat “accidentally struck him” while he was in the water. According to the Toronto Sun, the vessel’s propeller partially amputated Floros’ left leg below the knee and caused significant trauma to his right ankle. read more Authorities in western Greece move to contain TB outbreak Ekathimerini (May 14) Authorities in western Greece are moving to contain a tuberculosis outbreak among farm workers in Achaia and Ilia, dispatching testing teams to the hardest-hit farms. “Tuberculosis does not spread so easily. For that to happen, there needs to be very close contact for many hours in an enclosed space. In these communities, in the camps, transmission is facilitated because overcrowding is extensive,” Deputy Regional Governor for Public Health Anna Mastorakou told the Peloponnisos news site Wednesday, following complaints that authorities were not doing enough to address the outbreak. read more Greece rejects reports of an exemption from biometric checks for British summer travelers Associated Press (May 14) Greece says a new biometric screening system at airports for non-European Union citizens is fully operational, rejecting reports of a formal summer exemption for British travelers. But busy airports will be allowed to shut off scanners when needed this summer, officials say. “We have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure,” the Foreign Ministry said Thursday in response to a question from The Associated Press. read more Nice catch: Trawler nets submarine off Andros Ekathimerini (May 14) A fishing boat in the Cyclades made an unusual catch Thursday, netting a Hellenic Navy submarine taking part in manoeuvres. The submarine surfaced off the island of Andros, and an inspection showed its screw to be clear of any netting or cables. Following further external inspections, the submarine headed off again on its business. A Navy statement said the incident occurred Thursday morning during the Kataigis (Storm) 26 military exercise, while the submarine was submerged. read more UN may put Cyprus peace plan forward this year, Cypriot president says Reuters (May 13) The United Nations is likely to launch a fresh push to resolve the decades-old split of Cyprus before ​the term of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expires at the ‌end of the year, Cyprus's President Nikos Christodoulides said. Christodoulides, who represents the Greek Cypriots in talks with Turkish Cypriots, made the comments in ​an interview on Tuesday night with Cyprus's Alpha TV. read more This is an electronic news service of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association. For more information visit AHEPA's official website, www.ahepa.org. 1909 Q Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Tel: 202-232-6300 Fax: 202-232-2140 Email: ahepa@ahepa.org