Montreal's AHEPA Family Raises $76,000 for Summit School

Montreal's AHEPA Family Raises $76,000 for Summit School The AHEPA Family of Montreal raised $76,000 for Summit School at its 19th Annual Saint Valentine's Ball, held at the Crowne Plaza, Plaza Volare, Feb. 9. Summit School services more than 550 special needs students, ages four to 21, by creating an individualized and enriching environment.  More than 300 persons attended the Ball.  In addition to Supreme President Carl R. Hollister, Daughters of Penelope Grand President Eva Jean Fomalont and Canadian President Christos Argiriou, attended. "I commend the AHEPA Family of Montreal for organizing yet another successful event to the benefit of the broader Montreal community," Supreme President Hollister said. "It was a honor to be in attendance and in the company with a truly remarkable group of volunteers and advocates." Turkey's Provocations Are Alarming and a Danger Supreme President Carl R. Hollister issued the following statement yesterday: "Turkey's ongoing acts of provocation in the eastern Mediterranean--let alone in the broader region--are alarming and a danger. Turkish aggression unnecessarily elevates tensions, contributes to instability, is a detriment to achieving peace, and violates international law. We are deeply concerned...    read statement in its entirety AHEPA's Twitter thread AHEPA Applauds Introduction of Ecumenical Patriarchate Resolution AHEPA applauds the introduction of a congressional resolution that calls on Turkey to cease its violations of the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, announced Supreme President Carl R. Hollister.  U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Gus Bilirakis, co-chairs, Congressional Hellenic Caucus, introduced the resolution, H.Res.732. "We sincerely appreciate the leadership of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, U.S. Representatives Maloney and Bilirakis, for their introduction of this important resolution," Supreme President Hollister said. "We will work with Congress to garner support for its passage." U.S. Rep. Maloney statement U.S. Rep. Bilirakis statement Sad News | AHEPA Mourns Passing of PSG Katsafanas AHEPA mourns the passing of Past Supreme Governor Alex G. Katsafanas on Feb. 8, 2018. He was 88.  In addition to serving as Supreme Governor, Brother Katsafanas served the AHEPA Cooley's Anemia Foundation with tremendous dedication for more than two decades, including as the Foundation's Chairman for two years.  An AHEPA Life Member of 61 years, Brother Katsafanas held membership in Aristoteles Chapter 34, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Alexander the Great Chapter 29, Houston. "Brother Alex's devotion to the Order of AHEPA was second to none, and we are grateful for his service to our country," Supreme President Carl R. Hollister said. "We are especially thankful for his six decades of unselfish service to the Order, including our Cooley's Anemia Foundation.  Our deepest sympathies are with his wife, Mary, and his family. Brother Alex will be sorely missed. May his memory be eternal." Read: Brother Katsafanas' obituary Don't forget to follow AHEPA on social media:

Program Announcements 2018 National Scholarship Application Available The AHEPA National Educational Foundation announced its 2018 scholarship application is available. The deadline to apply for an AHEPA National Educational Foundation scholarship is March 31, 2018.Become one of many students who received a national AHEPA scholarship since the foundation's inception.  Apply Today! Call for Applications | Scholar-Athlete Scholarships, Hall of Fame Honors Annually, AHEPA presents scholarships and awards to outstanding athletes, scholar-athletes, and former athletes at its Athletic Luncheon held at the AHEPA Family Supreme Convention.  Don't miss out! Know of a standout athlete who excels in their individual sport(s) or who displays excellence in the classroom and volunteerism? Or a former athlete worthy to join the ranks of 135 members of the AHEPA Athletic Hall of Fame?  Scholar-Athlete Awards Application Form (Deadline: Feb. 28) AHEPA Athletic Hall of Fame Nominee Form (Deadline: March 15) AHEPA Journey to Greece 2018 Session Journey to Greece this summer with AHEPA and Webster University! Earn college credit while traveling to a whole host of iconic ancient Greek sites and beautiful Greek locations. The 2018 session runs June 23 to July 21. Deadline to apply is April 30, 2018. Apply Today!  Share: Our 2018 Journey to Greece Promo Video 2018 AHEPAcademy Session | Apply Today! Join a select group of Greek American students from across the country for AHEPAcademy, June 24 to 30, 2018, George Mason University, outside Washington, DC.  Learn more Early Application Deadline: March 15, 2018 Application Deadline: April 15, 2018 Share: AHEPAcademy Promo Video (via Facebook) Apply Today! The Ahepan  The latest issue of The Ahepan is out! Share with family and friends how AHEPA is working to fulfill its mission through service and volunteerism in our communities. Upcoming Events & Deadlines March 15 | Early Deadline: AHEPAcademy 2018 Session 17 | AHEPA Regional Banquet, Columbus, Ohio 31 | AHEPA National Educational Foundation Scholarship Deadline Join AHEPA Today! In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us. Join AHEPA Now Greek American News Digest Editor's Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces 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.   Family searching desperately for bone marrow donor for 6-month-old with rare immune disorder ABC News (Feb. 9)   A Michigan family is searching for a bone marrow donor for their 6-month-old who suffers from a rare immune disorder.  Doctors initially did not think that baby Elias would make it to 7 months, his mother, Evelyn Argirokastritis, told ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ. The immune disorder he suffers from is so uncommon that he's only the 22nd person in the United States to ever be registered with it, WXYZ reported.  read more Investors back Greek bond issue as bailout end approaches Associated Press (Feb. 8)    Investors bought strongly Thursday into a bond issue designed to help wean Greece off its international bailouts, in what officials see as an endorsement of efforts to right the country's battered economy.  Officials said Greece raised about 3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) from the new seven-year bond, which has a yield of roughly 3.5 percent. Offers exceeded 7 billion euros ($8.6 billion), with up to 6 billion euros being bid in the first hour of the auction.  read more    Standoff in high seas as Cyprus says Turkey blocks gas drill ship  Reuters (Feb. 11)   Cyprus on Sunday accused the Turkish military of obstructing a ship contracted by Italian oil company Eni from approaching an area to explore for natural gas, highlighting tensions over offshore resources in the east Mediterranean.  read more Greece, Turkey try to calm tensions after Aegean Sea crash Associated Press (Feb. 13) The prime ministers of Greece and Turkey worked late Tuesday to calm escalating tensions after a Greek coast guard vessel was damaged in a collision with a Turkish patrol boat in the Aegean Sea, the site of a boundary dispute.  A government official in Athens said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece and Turkish Prime Minister Benali Yildirim spoke by telephone about the circumstances of the boat crash. The official asked not to be named pending an official announcement.  read more Opinion | Impose Sanctions on Turkey Wall Street Journal (Feb. 9) A Turkish court Thursday sentenced Serkan Golge, a dual Turkish-American citizen, to 7½ years in prison on trumped-up charges of membership in a terrorist organization. Mr. Golge, who works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Texas, was visiting family in Turkey when he was arrested in July 2016 as a part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown in the wake of the attempted coup in the summer of 2016.  read more  (subscription required)   Greek guerrilla group assassin Dimitris Koufodinas granted two-day leave from prison Ekathimerini (Feb. 12)   A leading member of November 17, Greece's most deadly guerrilla group, has been granted another two-day leave from prison.  read more    Egypt warns Turkey over East Med economic interests Cyprus Mail Online (Feb. 7)   Egypt on Wednesday warned Turkey against any infringement of its economic rights in the eastern Mediterranean under a maritime border demarcation agreement signed in 2013 with Cyprus that allows exploration for gas in the area.   read more  This All-Marble Stadium Hosted the First Modern Olympics National Geographic (Feb. 12) Fire has been a symbol of the Olympic games since ancient times. Every four years, before the athletes gather for the games, the emblematic torch makes a long journey to the new host city from the Panathenaic Stadiumin Athens-the site of the first modern Olympic games where the tradition began more than a hundred years ago.  read more Your Burning Questions About the Olympic Torch, Answered Smithsonian (Feb. 9) After 101 days of traveling by plane, train, automobile, Korean warship, zipline and even robot, the Olympic torch will finally reach the site of the Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. This Friday, a lucky honoree will use it to light the Olympic cauldron in a grand, symbolic start to the games.  While the blaze looks like any other, its origins are special: It was lit not with matches or a Zippo lighter, but with a parabolic mirror, echoing rituals from Ancient Greece.   read more      Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo emerging as one of NBA's most popular figures ESPN (Feb. 10)      Mike Seremetis and his young son, Theo, are waiting for just the right moment to take a picture. It's 10 minutes before Sunday's matinee between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets, and the father and son, dressed in matching blue Greek Freak T-shirts, are standing a few rows off the Barclays Center floor trying to snag the attention of the man so many have come to see.  read more    Israeli archaeologists unearth 1,800-year-old mosaic, also featuring Greek inscription  Ekathimerini (Feb. 9)     A 1,800-year-old mosaic of toga-clad men dating back to the Roman era has been unearthed in Israel, archaeologists said on Thursday. The mosaic was discovered during the excavation of a building from the Byzantine period - some 300 years younger than the mosaic it was on top of - in the coastal city of Caesarea.  read more