AHEPA President Attends Benefit for Children's Hospital
Montreal AHEPA Family Gifts $40,000 to Shriner's Hospital for Children

Leaders of the AHEPA Family present the Shriners with a $40,000 donation for their Children's Hospital.

MONTREAL--The Montreal AHEPA Family donated $40,000 to the Shriner's Hospital for Children on Feb. 12, 2005. The funds were raised from the 6th Annual St. Valentine's Ball, a gala affair that since its inception has donated $120,000 to children's causes in the Montreal area.

'I commend and I am extremely proud of the remarkable efforts of the Montreal AHEPA Family," said Supreme President Franklin R. Manios, who attended the event. 'By extending a helping hand to their neighbors in the greater Montreal community, the AHEPA Family is performing a philanthropic act rooted in Hellenic ideals and values."

The Montreal AHEPA Family received generous sponsorships from: Honorary Chairperson Demetrius Manolakos, who donated $15,000; Patron Apotex Pharmaceuticals, $10,000; and from Zellers Department Store with the help of Spiros Fengos, $5,000.

'The goal of the AHEPA Family when we

started to plan for this year was to make an impact on the community while continuing to raise money for children 's causes in Montreal," said AHEPA Mount Royal Chapter CJ7 President George Vassilas. 'We felt the Shriner's Hospital fit the bill. We wanted to make the statement that the hospital is appreciated and that we want it to stay in Montreal for years to come."

Chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriner's Hospital Gary Morrison accepted the donation and expressed his gratitude to the organizing committee and the local AHEPA Family chapters. According to Vassilas, he was overwhelmed by the generosity of the AHEPA Family with no ties to the Shriners.

The Shriners displayed their gratitude by helping to sell tickets and by soliciting donations from their sponsors. According to Vassilas, all the Shriners went to each table and personally thanked the guests for their support.

Added Shriner John McDonald, 'It was a night I will long remember."

Also in attendance was: Hon. Eleni Bakopanos, member of the Federal Parliament; Municipal Counselor Mary Deros, Grand President Demi Kapolis and Past Canadian Presidents Xenophon Scoufaras and Lazarus Kalipolides.

The Ball's committee was co-chaired by Danielle Phaedra Effraim and Peter Scoufaras.

AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, and Cyprus and sister chapters in Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 1922 by visionary Greek Americans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA joined with the NAACP and B'nai B'rith to fight discrimination.

Today, the mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ideals of Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence.

The AHEPA family consists of four organizations: AHEPA, Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena.

For more information about the AHEPA family, or how to join, please contact AHEPA Headquarters, 202.232.6300, Ext. 211, or visit www.ahepa.org/joinahepa. For instant information visit www.ahepa.org.