On Friday, November 10, the National Hellenic Society held its Heritage Greece Fundraiser in New York at the beautiful Strathmore Vanderbilt Country Club! Over 200 people attended to support and contribute to this life-changing program that gives 100+ students the opportunity to travel to Greece and explore their culture and heritage. Congratulations to our big winner Argyris Argitakos!

Special thanks to our New York Heritage Greece Initiative Committee for helping us organize this wonderful night of fun, food and drinks!

​John and Maria Frankis
Nick and Marilena Katopodis
Jim and Amy Belesis
Dean, Nick and Christina Pashalis 
Stavros and Katherine Spucces
Paul and Julie Tsoumbariotis
John and Daniella Venetis 

​Chicago, IL – Ascending to the pinnacle of the Chicago Luxury Furniture Center, one inevitably stumbles upon the Clive Christian lifestyle showroom, also known as "The Lifestyle Apartment"; Conceived by James Denos, the visionary CEO of Clive Christian, this space transcends the conventional furniture showroom, welcoming visitors, and prospective clientele into an unforgettable realm of luxury and imagination.

Having spent over two decades in the retail industry, James Denos, now the proprietor of Clive Christian, harbored a vision of a showroom that epitomized opulence. He recalls, "I once had a luxurious showroom at the Merchandise Mart but when I looked out the window, I saw the building’s freight elevator; that view did not match the luxurious environment of my showroom.”  Creating an atmosphere commensurate to the elegance of his showroom was James’s inspiration for "The Lifestyle Apartment."

James, who has been a Clive Christian franchisee for 25 years, has now taken the helm and is expanding the brand's success from Chicago to New York, further complementing its presence in Los Angeles and London. The objective is to not only provide Clive Christian's clientele with high-end furniture but also to kindle the sparks of their unique dream homes. "We curate a luxury lifestyle apartment adorned with Baccarat lighting and exquisite furnishings, imbuing our customers with an experiential vision. When clients step inside, they think, 'My house could look like this.'; We then assist in making that vision a reality."

​Following a beautiful Gala hosted by the OXI Day Foundation in which they presented their annual courage awards to deserving recipients, the National Hellenic Society celebrated OXI Day with an afterparty at the fabulous Alma Shriners building in Washington, D.C. The event was well attended, brining together Greek-Americans and philhellenes who share the same values and pride for their Hellenic culture and heritage.

National Hellenic Society Members John Stratakis, Nancy Papaioannou, Mike Manatos, John Koudounis, Basil Mossaidis, and Demetrios Logothetis were among a  group of Greek Americans that joined Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis on September 20th during a working luncheon.  

Members of the National Hellenic Society had the opportunity to attend a reception in honor of Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis' visit to the United Nations.  The Prime Minister was represented by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou at the dinner held at New York City's Harvard Club on Monday, September 18th.  Seventeen Hellenic organizations, including the National Hellenic Society, co-sponsored the luncheon in honor of the Prime Minister's visit.

​Government relations, advocacy and lobbying: lawfully influencing legislation and currying favor for one’s client. A practice as old as time that is important as ever in the United States. The word “lobbyist” goes back to President Ulysses S. Grant. President Grant would venture to the Willard Hotel, which is near the White House, to imbibe in his brandy and ritual cigar while meeting with important people in the Willard Hotel’s lobby to petition him for favors. The practice in principle remains the same, however, the process has evolved at both the state and federal level.

Elizabeth Bartz, President, CEO and founder of State and Federal Communications Inc., has been working with Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, government, and law firms for 30 years. State and Federal Communications serves a broad range of clientele to ensure they are in compliance with state and federal government lobbying and campaign laws and regulations.
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The National Hellenic Society and Manatos & Manatos implemented the first hybrid Heritage America Program since the onset of the pandemic. 15 students traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with high-ranking government officials, visit Capitol Hill, the Greek Embassy, the White House and watch a Baltimore Orioles Game! They also participated in online Zoom sessions joined by other students who were eager to hear Greek heritage stories and be mentored by the most prominent Greek-Americans across the country. Everyone had an incredible time and left with a “book” worth of career advice!  The Heritage America hybrid experience truly captured many Greek-American stories of hard work, resilience, filotimo, passion and filoxenia! We’re so grateful to all the speakers and kind hosts for giving our students this amazing opportunity to learn from the best mentors!

In the June 12th edition of The Greek Reporter, Tasos Kokkinidis authored an article entitled Greek American Students Get Taste of Greece Through Heritage Program.  ​Read part of the article below and the full article by clicking the button after the jump!

​Dozens of Greek American students are visiting Greece through the Heritage Greece Program, a two-week cultural and educational odyssey that connects them to their Hellenic roots.
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The first group of Greek American students arrived on June 10 and the second group will arrive on July 1.

The Heritage Greece Program is an educational and cultural immersion experience shared with students from The American College of Greece (ACG) in Athens. The college, also known as Deree, is located at Agia Paraskevi, a leafy suburb in north Athens.

​WASHINGTON, DC, May 30, 2023 -- Greek-American college students can now apply to be mentored by many of the most prominent Greek-Americans across the country in-person and online July 26-29, 2023.

The deadline for applications to the 8th annual National Hellenic Society Heritage America Program is Wednesday, July 12.

To apply for this year's virtual program, please click here.