Up to $50,000 was raised at a testimonial dinner held on Sunday evening, February 28, at Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall - an affair organized by and for the Greek American community. Michael and Alice Halkias, owners of the historic venue and hosts of the lavish event, told The National Herald they were enthused with the successful turnout and financial donations which will help support the Diros Neolithic Studies Institute, a non-profit Greek-based association aimed to support excavations, research and archaeological work conducted at Alepotrypa Cave and the Archaeological Museum at Diros. “The Greek American community sincerely cares about these important efforts, here and abroad, historical and political,” said Mr. Halkias, who along with his wife Alice offered the space and dinner to guests free of charge and donated $10,000 to the fund. The event, hosted under the auspices of the World Council for Hellenes Abroad with the support of the Greek American organizations of New York and individual initiatives, also paid tribute to renowned archaeologist Dr. George Papathanasopoulos, Honorary Ephor of the institute and director of the Diros excavations which began officially in 1970.

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