The AHEPAN Fall 2022 - 17

L to R: This year's national HHT's participants and organizers gather around the Nikas Cup. Salute to Women organizers with Honoree Dr. Petro
(center), and to her right, her mother, Elizabeth, along with Archbishop Elpidophoros and Ambassador Papadopoulou. SP Kokotas and DOP GP
Bizoukas are ready to dig into AHEPA's anniversary cake.
$5,836 donation to the AHEPA Charitable Foundation, which 100
runners raised by running in the 100th Anniversary Virtual 5K.
Also in the spirit of athletic competition, a solid field of golfers
teed it up for not one, but two, golf tournaments, and Florida
provided an opportunity for anglers to compete for a prize catch
in a fishing tournament.
The AHEPA National Housing Corporation (ANHC) held its
annual board meeting in the lead-up to the convention. The corporation,
which has rebranded this year to AHEPA Senior Living,
also sponsored the AHEPA Family Awards Brunch on July 20. ThenANHC
President Carl Hollister presented ANHC Board Member Mary
Verges, who serves as president of Penelope 54 I and II, Inc., with
ANHC's Lifetime Achievement Award. Hollister also announced
ANHC donations and grants totaling upwards of $440,000 to
charities and foundations for the year, including to the AHEPA
Cooley Anemia Foundation and several AHEPA family entities.
In turn, at the conclusion of Hollister's presentations,
Supreme President Kokotas presented Hollister, who concluded
his term as ANHC president, with the AHEPA Outstanding
Leadership Award. Kokotas also presented special guest Enes
Kanter Freedom with the AHEPA Heroes Medal for his outspoken
advocacy for human rights, in Turkey and China in particular,
that has placed him and his loved ones in peril. He shared his
moving personal story with the audience.
The AHEPA Service Dog for Warriors program also presented
on its latest developments to help veterans who suffer PTSD. The
program is on the cusp of eclipsing the $1 million mark in funds
raised to sponsor service dogs for 100 veterans. As part of the
program's presentation, attendees learned firsthand how a service
dog, Oscar, helped save Greek American Manny Koutalides
and his family.
The National Educational Foundation hosted its International
Hellenic History Tournament. Five teams totaling 15 students
vied for the coveted " Nikas Cup. " Team " Disciples of Delphi " from
Upper Darby, Pa., comprised of all siblings, Yianni, Nikolaos, and
Liana Krontiris, came out on top.
The Hellenic Cultural Commission hosted two informative
panel discussions. The first, on the topic of AHEPA's century-long
history of service, " Order of AHEPA (1922-2022): A Century of
Service to America and Hellenism, " on July 19, and the second,
" Turkish Irredentism and Finlandization in the East Med
Revisited, " on July 20.
The Daughters of Penelope continued with its time-honor tradition
of honoring excellence with the presentation of the 2022
Salute to Women Award to Dr. Janet E. Petro, who is the director
of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on July 21.
Microsoft Exec Inspires at Grand Banquet
AHEPA's Centennial Grand Banquet, complete with a Disneyinspired
100-year anniversary cake, did not disappoint.
The recipient of the 2022 AHEPA Socrates Award, Panos
Panay, who is the chief product officer for Microsoft, delivered an
inspirational acceptance speech that visibly moved the audience.
" There has been no other recognition in my life or career that
SP Kokotas presents an award to outgoing ANHC President Hollister,
PSP, flanked by AHEPA Board Chair Karacostas, PSP, Cynthia Hollister,
and new AHEPA Senior Living Chair Gulas, PSP.
www.ahepa.org
SP Kokotas presents the Socrates Award to Microsoft Exec Panay.
National Educational Foundation Chair George Vorkas, who introduced
Panay, Archbishop Elpidophoros and Emcee Emanuel, join them.
Fall 2022 · THE AHEPAN | 17

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The AHEPAN Fall 2022

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