News
Elly Symons accompanies Greek American lobbyist Mr Nick Larigakis on Australian lecture tour
The Hellenic Republic Ambassador and the Cyprus High Commissioner also welcomed the delegation and briefed us on their respective current foreign affairs issues.
Centenary Gala Ball 2016 - a night to remember
On October 22, close to 600 guests attended the Centenary Gala Ball held in the Members Dining Room at Melbourne's iconic MCG. Some guests attended from interstate and as far away as Greece.
The night opened with an introduction by MC and fellow Ithacan Angela Pippos who told us a little bit about her own ancestral history from Ithaca. Our Vice President, Costa Kaimakamis, and Margarita Varigos, daughter of former President Nick Varigos and Rena Varigos also shared MC duties and it was wonderful to see our younger generation taking an active role in proceedings.
Special guest was the Greek Consul General, Christina Simantiraki, who gave a speech in Greek commending the Society for its achievements and respect of its heritage.
Greek band STROFES were a sensational choice and the dance floor was packed to capacity. The inimitable Olga Black and her cohort of dancers began the Greek dancing showing us how it's done. The crowd was also entertained by THE THREE TENORS who initially posed as waiters, fooling the crowd.
Congratulations to Kathy Koutsounis Tsaralikis who won the lucky door prize of a return trip to Greece flying Emirates, thanks to Spiros Alysandratos of Consolidated Travel Group. Other lucky draw prizes included two $500 vouchers from Hello World Oakleigh and TravelManagers.
The Silent Auction was a fantastic success, raising close to $8000 for the primary school in North Ithaca.
The Society would also like to thank the Iris Lucas family for their generosity in hosting the afterparty at The Spice Market where many continued the night of celebrations.
An event this significant and with hundreds of people in attendance takes years to plan and a tremendous amount of work was poured into its organisation. A big congratulations to Anna Vlass, the Ball Committee and the Executive Committee for staging such an unforgettable evening. Last, but by no means least, we thank our major sponsors, supporters and Silent Auction donors whose generous support was very much appreciated.
MAJOR SPONSORS
SUPPORTERS
Armadale Pharmacy - Gerald Galatis Bagheera Enterprises - Andrew Black Hello World Oakleigh
Joannides Funerals Kim Petalas Penny Stansfield TravelManagers Stradbroke Dental - Dr Anna Paxinos
Families unite at the 2017 Ithacan picnic
Despite unfavourable weather conditions, a few hundred Ithacans, their family and friends attended the 2017 Ithacan Picnic at Ferny Creek and had a wonderful time. Due to the rain, we all set up our tables in the hall which created a more intimate atmosphere. There was a buzz in the room as family and friends reunited over spanakopites, souvlakia, sandwiches and sweets. The Rotary Club provided BBQ sausages which proved very popular having sold out on the day. Many brought delicious cakes for our new tradition of afternoon tea in the hall, and when Anna Vlass brought along her homemade galaktobouriko, it disappeared in seconds. Our younger members were well taken care of with a balloonist and face painter providing lots of fun and entertainment. Some kids also received a Milo cricket shirt and cricket ball. One of the highlights of the day was when Julianne Stoyles, one of our new Ithacan members and a descendant of the Mavromatis family from Exoghi through her father’s side, brought along her extensive family tree. To mark the occasion, many of the Mavromatis descendants who happened to be at the picnic, posed for a photo with the clan. What a special moment and family reunion. The afternoon ended with the obligatory Greek dancing led by Olga Black and her regular cohort of Greek dancing enthusiasts. We thank the organising committee for yet another fantastic picnic experience.
Book launch of 'The Ithacans' a great success
The centenary publication 'The Ithacans' was launched on Sunday 16 October in front of a full house by acclaimed political journalist and author George Megalogenis.
'The Ithacans' is a culmination of many years of work by the publication group and the result is nothing short of spectacular. The Society extends its congratulations to the group for their vision, perseverance and tireless efforts in producing a volume of work that makes us all very proud. The publication group consisted of:
Anna Vlass - Convenor
George Paxinos - Writer
Alkmini Paxinos - Editor
Alkmini Paxinos and Anna Vlass - Layout and proofing
James Raftopoulos - Designer
Andrew Raftopoulos - Design consultant
Andrew and Kay Raftopoulos - Printer liaison
MCed by Executive Committee member Elly Symons, the audience listened to speeches by the publication group who gave us an appreciation of the enormity of this literary undertaking as well as some insight into what inspired the words and design.
Feedback has been very positive, with members saying it provided them with an emotional trip down memory lane as they reminisced about their lives of those of their loved ones.
If you were unable to attend the book launch but wish to purchase a copy/ies of THE ITHACANS, books will be available for purchase at our upcoming functions including the:
Children's Christmas Party on 4/12 and
Members' Christmas Luncheon at Merrimu Receptions on 18/12
HOW TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE ITHACANS
Alternatively, you can order your copy/ies of THE ITHACANS by completing the ORDER FORM, indicating your preferred method of payment and collection.
DONT MISS OUT AS STOCKS ARE LIMITED.