ATHENS, Greece – An AHEPA delegation led by Supreme President George E. Loucas arrived in Athens for a seven-day visit to Greece, Sept. 3, 2018. In Athens, Ahepans visited victims of Greece’s wildfires at Evangelismos Hospital and are meeting with Greek government officials.
One wildfires victim, Elena, shared eyewitness stories of courage with the AHEPA delegation. According to Supreme President Loucas, Elena described her own harrowing escape through three failed attempts by car before finally running into the sea through the “fire above and fire below.”
Evangelismos, a hospital without a burn unit, treated almost all of the victims who survived the fires, Loucas said.
The delegation will head to Thessaloniki later in the week to participate at the Thessaloniki International Fair, where the United States is this year’s “Honored Country.” AHEPA is a proud “Silver Sponsor” of the USA-Thessaloniki International Fair 2018 (USATIF).
Meetings with Greek Government Officials
The delegation met with Greek Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura and Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Terens Quick.
“We sincerely thank Greek Tourism Minister Kountoura and her team for hosting our delegation as we continue fruitful discussion about the promotion of Greece as a premier destination for tourism and as the host of our 2021 Supreme Convention,” Supreme President Loucas said. “We also appreciated the opportunity to discuss AHEPA’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Greece’s wildfires victims and other matters pertaining to relations between the United States and Greece.”
Canadian President Christos Argiriou, Supreme Governor Phanos L. Pitiris, District 25 Governor Efstathios G. Kefalidis, and Executive Director Basil N. Mossaidis, accompanied Supreme President Loucas.
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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.