AHI-Athens Gala Dinner Honors World-Renowned Composer Vangelis and Female Entrepreneur Kitty Kyriacopoulos

On June 11, 2008, the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) hosted the Fourth Annual AHI-Athens Hellenic Heritage Achievement and National Public Service Awards Dinnerheld at the Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens, Greece. The event, which was a major highlight of AHI’s annual delegation trip to Greece and Cyprus, honored world-renowned composer Vangelis with an AHI Hellenic Heritage Achievement Award for his “exceptional artistic achievements” as a pioneer in electronic music, and for his lifelong dedication to the promotion of Hellenism through the arts. Kitty Kyriacopoulos, honorary chairman of S&B Industrial Minerals S.A., was also honored that evening for her “outstanding business achievements, philanthropy and promotion of Hellenism. Mrs. Kyriacopoulos received the AHI Hellenic Heritage Achievement Award.

The gala dinner, which was held in cooperation with the AHI-Athens Chapter, began with welcome remarks from Ilias Malevitis, president of AHI-Athens Chapter. Greetings were also delivered by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Theodoros Kassimis, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Greece Thomas V. Countryman, Greek Minister of Development Christos Folias, U.S.A. Coordinator and Alternate President of the World Hellenes Abroad (SAE) Theodore Spyropoulos, and AHI Executive Director Nick Larigakis. Serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Rena Leousis. The evening concluded with an enchanting musical interlude performed by Theodosia Stiga.

In their remarks, both honorees thanked AHI for the honor of receiving their respective awards, and for the organization’s tireless commitment to enhancing U.S.-Greece relations.

The dinner was attended by close to 300 attendees representing all segments of Greek society, including numerous members of Hellenic Parliament. The event received excellent press coverage by both the print and broadcast media in Greece.

The dinner organizing committee consisted of Ilias Malevitis, George Economou, Katerina Papathanassiou, Lia Kanari, Margarita Karli, and Nick Larigakis.

“There were a number of major sponsors who helped to make this event the success that it was, and AHI wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude for their support,” said AHI Executive Director Nick Larigakis. This year’s major dinner benefactor was the National Bank of Greece. Additional event sponsors were:

• Drexel University LeBow College of Business, George P. Tsetsekos, Dean, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Gene Rossides, Washington, D.C.
• Ted G. Spyropoulos, Chicago, Illinois
• Lagos & Lagos, PLL, Springfield, Ohio
• Aris Drivas Yachting, Piraeus, Greece
• The Behrakis Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts
• Athanasios Sipsas, Athens, Greece
• World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), U.S.A. Region
• Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece
• Capital Hilton, Washington, D.C.
• La Mer Beachfront Inn, Cape May, NJ
• G.C. Economou & Associates, Athens, Greece
• Jim Pedas, Washington, D.C.
• Ted Pedas, Washington, D.C.
• Pan-Macedonian Association of America
• Dimitri and Eleni Bousis, Chicago, Illinois and Athens, Greece
• Lockheed Martin, Athens, Greece
• Gus Andy, Miami, Florida
• Motor Oil (Hellas) Corinth Refineries S.A.
• Serge Hadji-Mihaloglou, Athens, Greece

Photographs from the Fourth Annual AHI-Athens Hellenic Heritage and National Public Service Awards Dinner are posted on AHI's Web site at:https://ahiworld.org/2008_Athens_Dinner. For additional information, please contact Nick Larigakis at (202) 785-8430 or nlarigakis@ahiworld.org. For general information regarding the activities of AHI, please view our Web site at https://www.ahiworld.org.