Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) has made the difficult decision to cancel the 98th AHEPA Family Supreme Convention scheduled for July 19 to 26, 2020, at Walt Disney World® Resort, in Orlando, Fla., announced Supreme President George G. Horiates.
“Protecting the health, safety, and well-being of our delegates, members, and guests and their families, is our priority and has led us to take this unprecedented measure,” Supreme President Horiates said.
“We recognize canceling the world’s largest week-long annual meeting of Hellenes and philhellenes impacts many of you in many ways. We want to acknowledge the tremendous volume of reservations that were made by members of the community. Room reservations were literally oversold.
“During this process, we have been in constant communication and discussion with the Supreme Lodge, Board of Trustees under the leadership of Chairman Nicholas Karacostas, and Headquarters staff, who were working tirelessly to organize and stage another fun-filled and successful Supreme Convention. I want to thank them for their hard work and leadership during this difficult time.
“We also thank the professionals at Disney with whom we have been in constant, weekly consultation since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. We look forward to partnering with Disney again in the near future.
“Finally, we appreciate the community’s understanding and unwavering commitment to the AHEPA family and its mission.”
For Background
This will be the first time in AHEPA’s 98-year history a Supreme Convention will be canceled. During World War II, the Supreme Convention was suspended from 1943 to 1945. Instead, smaller annual National Conferences were held in Washington, DC.
For further questions, please contact ahepa@ahepa.org.
Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, on the principles that undergirded its fight for civil rights and against discrimination, bigotry, and hatred felt at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 400 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
AHEPA’s mission is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence through community service and volunteerism.
For more information, please visit www.ahepa.org.