NHS Heritage Weekend & Classic COMMENCES

The National Hellenic Society's (NHS) Heritage Weekend and Classic returned to Las Vegas at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa October 6-9, 2016 for a weekend of inspiring activities, programs, and entertainment. The weekend attracted over 350 prominent Greek American NHS members and guests.

Weekend activities for sporting enthusiasts included a tennis tournament, the  Telly Savalas Memorial Golf Classic,  and a special hiking tour through the picturesque Red Rock Canyon withDean Karnazes , the world-renowned ultra-marathoner.  Guests experienced exotic car racing, desert tours, hot air balloon rides and other recreational activities. ​

---

Celebrity entertainment featured Greece's popular singer,  Thanos Petrelis,  and his band at an awards gala in honor of Emmy Award-winning legendary actor John Aniston ; HBO executive and Academy Award-winning producer Kary Antholis , Director and CEO at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and Emeritus Managing Director of Brookings,  William Antholis , and philanthropist, pharmaceutical industry entrepreneur and NHS co-founder, George Behrakis.

Throughout the weekend, a "who's who" of esteemed voices covered such topics as heritage and culture, science and medicine, sports, foreign policy, and the presidency. Over 25 speakers included notables and leaders, such as Dr. Panos Anastasiadis, a leader of a cancer research team at the Mayo Clinic; Panos Anastassiadis, one of the world's leading cyber intelligence and risk security experts following his role as President, CEO of Cyveillance, Inc.;  Dr. John Camp,  Director of the Agora Excavations; Jim Daopoulos, Official and Supervisor of Officiating for the NFL for over 20 years;  John Gumas,  sports advertising expert,  Paul Glastris , Editor in Chief of  The Washington Monthly;  Dr. Stamatios M. Krimigis , Emeritus Head and Principal Staff Scientist of the Space Department of the Johns Hopkins University Applied  Physics Laboratory directing over 600 scientists and engineers;  Elizabeth Lee , archaeologist and Managing Director of CyArk, an international non-profit organization that captures, archives and enables virtual access to the world's cultural heritage;  legendary Buffalo Bills coach and four time Super Bowl Coach,  Marv Levy;   Alexandra Liveris,  award-winning film producer of the NHS/National Geographic co-production,  The Greek Guide to Greatness ,  Jared Lipworth, Emmy Award winning producer at PBS and National Geographic, Executive Producer of this summer's miniseries, The Greeks, on PBS and Executive Producer of The Greek Guide to Greatness; Suffolk University pollster, David Paleologos;  Art Mantaris, the dean of Las Vegas oddsmakers;   George Orfanakos, Executive Director of  the American School of Classical Studies;  The Honorable    Andrew Natsios ,  Professor at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service and the Director of the Scowcroft Institute, Emeritus Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development;  Ambassador John Negroponte , Professor at Yale University and served as the nation's first Director of National Intelligence during the aftermath of the 9/11 crisis and ensuing war in Iraq and Afghanistan; Stanford University classicist  Dr. Reviel Netz and  distinguished historian overseeing the University of Pennsylvania's Special Collections Center  Dr. William Noel , who recovered the lost Archimedes Palimpsest; and,  Ambassador Patrick Theros , former Ambassador to Qatar and Executive Director of the U.S. Qatar Business Council. 

Princess Tatiana of Denmark and Greece presented her book at Heritage Weekend,  A Taste of Greece,  her personal love letter to Greece and her effort to join forces with individuals and organizations from throughout the world to support the efforts of Boroume , a charitable foundation that benefits the poor in Greece . A Taste of Greece  features celebrity recipes from an array of contributors such as Maestro Zubin Mehta, Ariana Huffington, Rita Wilson , and more, sharing their own recipes, interest in Greek culture, and concern for Greece's path to recovery. ​