The Greek Star

The National Hellenic Museum in Greektown Chicago plays host to “Recipes for Rebuilding St. Basil,” a fundraising event to benefit the fire, smoke, and water-decimated church. The tragic fire occurred on the first day of Lent and many repairs are necessitated before reopening the Church for services. The fundraiser takes place Thursday, June 6 from 6-9 pm and features the cuisine of many of Chicago’s top chefs.

Lauren Secaras, a junior at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, has been selected to compete in the All-Academic Games in Aurora, Colorado on the 4th of July. In order to qualify, Secaras had to meet minimum academic criteria for the class of 2014 established by the selection committee.

CHRIST IS RISEN!  TRULY HE IS RISEN!

LEGAL. . .TELLY C. NAKOS of the firm of O’CONNOR & NAKOS was  named one of the top rated lawyers of our area.

INTERIORS. . .  CARI GIANOULIS and Melissa Lewis  are partners of LEWIS-GIANOULIS INTERIORS.  Gianoulis is married to George, the older brother of former Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

SPORTS and HUMANITARIAN HERO….NICK MARKAKIS is a professional baseball outfielder who plays with the Baltimore Orioles.  He played baseball in the European  National Championships, winning a silver medal with Team Greece in 2003 and also played for the Greek Olympic baseball team in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.  According to reports from IOCC, Markakis and his wife started “The Right Side Foundation” to help children who are disadvantaged, sick, lonely, or grieving in Maryland where he plays with the Orioles.

EUC-FLAS Fellows…MICHELLE ASBILL and HEOPHESTION BOLARIS both excellent students of the Modern Greek Studies Program, won a FLAS Fellowship by the European Union Center (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) to continue with their studies in Modern Greek next year.  BOLARIS won the FLAS fellowship to study Advanced Modern Greek I and II.

GOYA OFFICERS…PANAGIOTIS GIANAKAKIS, President…EVAN VOURIS, Vice President…12^th Gr. Rep. BILLY ANGELOS and KATERINA ALEMIS…11^th Gr. Rep. AUSTIN ECONOMOS…10^th Gr. Rep., ANDONIA SUBSITS…9^th Gr. Rep. GEORGE CROSBY…8^th Gr. Rep. VIVIAN KILIAS…of the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church.

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40 DAY BLESSINGS…EVANGELINE , daughter of Theodora and Polykarpos Pavlidou.

CHRISMATION. . . THERESA BEESON, with SOPHIA MICHALEK as Sponsor at SS Peter and Paul Church.

MAY BIRTHDAY WISHES for. . . Presvytera GEORGIA BOTSIS…WILLIAM ARMIROS on  the 28^th…MARILYN ATHAS on the 14^th…PRISCILLA BETZELOS on the 10^th…IRENE MARIA DRIKAKIS on the 20^th. . . SOPHIA FELECOS…NICHOLAS GEORGIAFENTIS on  the 28^th…PAT GRAMAS on  the 23^rd…THOMAS H. KAPSALIS on the 31^st…

Also…Greek Star Editor, DIANE ADAM…GEORGIA MITCHELL on the 12^th…ERNEST NEOKOS on the 26^th…BARBARA PAPPAS…ANGELA PATERAKIS on the lst…GEORGE PATERAKIS on the 30^th…JOHN H. SECARAS on the 16^th…HARRY J. SECARAS on the 19^th…GUST TCHAKANAKIS on the 11^th…MARY YANNIAS on the 28^th.

MAY NAME DAY GREETINGS for. . . FATHER DEAN BOTSIS…FATHER CONSTANTINE  ALIFERAKIS….FATHER DEAN PHOTOS…CONSTANTINE BACIL. . . DAN GEORGAKAS…MAURETTA KOPOULOS…DEBRA (ELENI) PRICE PRODROMOS, PhD, JD…TAYLOR (Eleni) PRODROMOS…ARISTOTLE PAPANIKOLAOU…DEAN SALLAS…ZOE RUMMEL…DR. ELAINE THOMOPOULOS…DIANNE NICHOLS THODOS…IRENE TZAKIS…GUST TCHAKANAKIS…DEAN STAVRAKAS.

MAY ANNIVERSARY CONGRATS for. .. NICK and ELAINE THOMOPOULOS on  the 24^th…LEON and ROSE VAINIKOS on the 20^th. . . PETER and MAGDALENE  BACOS on the 22^nd.

MUSEUM. . . The National Hellenic Museum is receiving nationwide publicity for its excellent presentations.   Everyone in this area will want to be a part of the NHM and can join as an individual, by buying legacy bricks or in many other ways.   Call 312-655-1234 and learn how you can become a part of this nationally recognized institution so professionally managed by a most capable Board headed by Chairman JOHN P. CALOMAS, Sr. and with CONNIE MOURTOUPALAS as President. 

CONDOLENCES to the family of the late EUGENIA KRIBALES who fell asleep in the Lord last month.   May her memory be eternal!

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!

First and last alike receive your reward;

rich and poor rejoice together!

Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

(From the Easter Sermon of

John Chrysostom, Pastor of Constantinople)

Boston native, actor/writer/director,Paul Carafotes, announced today that he has enlisted the support of his celebrity friends to deliver to Boston area hospitals a positive message of being helpful, loving and kind, which is the theme of his new children’s book, “The Adventures of Charlie Bubbles”. Paul is scheduled to visit several Boston local hospitals the week of  including Children’s Hospital Of Boston , Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts FloatingHospital for Children, to read, sing, autograph and donate books.

The meaning of birthright can be defined as “a right, possession, or privilege that is one’s due by birth.”  When the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation launched Hellenic Birthright in 2012, this was precisely the reasoning behind developing such a program—to give Greek American youth their birth-given right of seeing their ancestral homeland for the very first time.

He was Chicago's Sinatra, a one-man rat pack who knew how to light up a room not only with his voice, but his personality, charm, and charisma. He was so big in Chicago that he was given his own honorary street. On Saturday April 27, on his 75th birthday. Chicago legend nightclub singer Jimmy Damon succumbed after battling a rare heart ailment over the past few years.

NEW YORK (AP)— Billionaire Republican businessman John Catsimatidis is the Liberal Party's new pick for mayor, the party announced Tuesday. The endorsement gives Catsimatidis the possibility of a spot on the November ballot regardless of how his quest for the GOP nomination goes, plus the potential of claiming the mantle of successful Republican-Liberal New York City mayoral candidates going back to Fiorello LaGuardia.

DEERFIELD, ILL---The Hellenic American Academy will host their annual Spring Gala on Saturday, May 11, 2013.  This year's theme is “Follow Your Dreams to Success.” Enjoy an evening of reception and dining at the award-winning Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. 

           Entertainent will be provided by the Hellenic Five.  Also, HAA will honor and recognize Greek Americans who followed their dream, including Dean Metropoulos, owner of Pabst Beer and most recently acquired Chicago’s own Hostess Brands, and Julia Patrianakos, who has educated many of us and has served as role model and mentor to many of current teachers. 

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COURTESY: HELLENIC AMERICAN ACADEMY