NHS celebrates 2017 National Hellenic Museum Gala: Stories of Our Journey

An Evening of Music, Dancing, and Festivities to Benefit the National Hellenic Museum

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) hosted its spectacular 2017 Gala on Saturday, May 13th in the magnificent Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. This year’s Gala, themed “Stories of Our Journey”, celebrated the diverse stories of the Greek American experience -- the history that NHM collects, preserves, and shares every day of the year. Under a dome of twinkling lights, and surrounded by the magnificent Chicago skyline, over 650 Greek Americans gathered with their friends and family to celebrate their heritage and give to the Museum in the spirit of philanthropy.

Greek American Chicago sportscaster Lou Canellis served as Master of Ceremonies and began the evening by sharing how he had been inspired by his Greek heritage. Governor Bruce Rauner paid tribute to the contributions of Greek Americans to culture and society. NHM Board Chairman John P. Calamos, Sr. and NHM President Dr. Laura Calamos then spoke about how the Museum inspires and educates many generations of Americans through the NHM’s exhibits, classes, and programs. This year’s event also featured both silent and live auctions to benefit the NHM and its educational mission. After dinner, Greece's Elli Kokkinou and Christos Menidiatis brought the crowd to their feet as the gala audience danced into the night Όλοι μαζί (All together).

---

The weekend kicked off on Friday evening, May 12th with a cocktail reception co-hosted by NHS and NHM at the LondonHouse Chicago. The next morning, the NHS Board Meeting at the NHM and tour of Chicago for guests were followed by a tour of the museum as well as lunch at Greek town's famed Athena Greek Restaurant featuring guest speaker C. Dean Metropoulos.