Some of the astir salient figures of the Greek-American assemblage gathered astatine 1 of New York’s astir historical backstage κοινωνικά clubs connected Wednesday day for a special event.
For the 4th consecutive year, a total of 28 Greek-American organizations hosted the yearly “Oli Mazi” (All Together) luncheon successful grant of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. There, astatine the Union League Club, connected the country of Park Avenue and 37th Street, the Greek premier curate presented 5 honorary medals to members of the diaspora for their outstanding publication to Greece.
“This gathering gives us the accidental to reaffirm the bonds and commitments betwixt the motherland and the singular Greek diaspora, and the accidental to grant distinguished Greek-Americans who person ever kept Greece successful their hearts and person ever stood by us,” Mitsotakis said.
Businessman John Catsimatidis opened the event, speaking astir his narration with the precocious Konstantinos Mitsotakis, recalling however the two had erstwhile arranged for Frank Sinatra to visit Greece. He congratulated the premier curate connected the country’s progress, noting that US President Donald Trump had done the aforesaid conscionable the erstwhile day.
The evening continued with the awarding of the honorees from the Greek-American assemblage successful the United States. Among them was Nick Mitropoulos, who passed distant earlier this period aft a agelong and influential vocation successful the Boston governmental scene.
“We are very arrogant and grateful to everyone who helped marque it imaginable for our begetter to person this medal; we wish helium were here,” said his daughter, Alexandra Mitropoulos, who accepted the grant with her sister, Arielle.
Wearing a necktie decorated with Greek flags and a blue-and-white shirt, investigative writer and bestselling writer Nicholas Gage said it was a large grant to beryllium recognized by one’s homeland.
“When I near our village astatine the property of nine, my parent asked maine to formed a achromatic stone down me. It is the lone committedness I made to her that I did not keep,” helium told Kathimerini and aboriginal repeated from the podium – possibly the astir moving infinitesimal of the event. His heavy ties to Greece, helium added, are not lone due to the fact that of the country’s beauty, but besides due to the fact that of the Greek radical themselves, who, helium is certain, will proceed to animate the world whether they unrecorded successful Greece oregon abroad.
Investor and entrepreneur Dean Metropoulos spoke astir his family’s sacrifices and his ain journey, which astatine property 10 took him from a small village successful Arcadia successful the bluish Peloponnese to the United States. He said helium feels profoundly American, but his roots – the roots that unite everyone contiguous – are ever Greek.
“I consciousness very proud,” businessman John Calamos told Kathimerini, “proud of this grant and of the fantabulous work the premier curate is doing.”
The assemblage gave a standing ovation to Paulette Poulos, enforcement manager of Leadership 100, who for galore years was manager of Archbishop Iakovos’ office. “I anticipation this grant serves arsenic an illustration for different women, young and old, that we tin service the Church and our homeland by giving what we tin and by being the champion version of ourselves,” she told Kathimerini.
Mike Manatos, enforcement manager of The Hellenic Initiative, who organized and coordinated the event, said everyone was delighted some by the premier minister’s beingness and by the accidental to grant Greece. “All of us here,” helium said, “are immensely arrogant of Greece.”