NEW YORK – The Hellenic University Club of New York recently hosted its Spring Celebration under the auspices of the Consulate of Cyprus. The affair was a buffet dinner benefiting The Cyprus Children’s Fund.

The warm and hospitable space known as Cyprus House in Midtown Manhattan was the scene of fellowship between old and new friends, many of whom were looking forward to the revival of HUC, the social cultural and educational organization that was founded in 1918 by a group of university graduates of Greek descent, led by Dr. George N. Papanicolaou.

Interim Treasurer Paul Sapounakis was very pleased with the community’s response, including young professionals, to the event, some possible HUC scholarship fund beneficiaries.

HUC just announced that the winners of the 2014 scholarships, each in the amount of $2000 are: Constantine G. Costidis, Eleni Kallinos, Alexis Mead, and Fani Tzikas.

The Scholarship Committee, chaired by Margo Galson, will soon announce the winners of HUC’s graduate grant in the medical, biological, or social sciences.

Manos Lampidis, interim president, told TNH that HUC’s renaissance is progressing nicely. “We have quite few new members,” he said, including very interested young members with whom he will be meeting soon to talk about their getting more involved and how to attract additional members.

He emphasized that the people he has been working with are a transition team and that their main job is to recruit new people for leadership positions. He and the other veterans will stay connected, but they will remain in the background, helping out and offering support.

Lampidis acknowledged that Sapounakis has been instrumental in the revival process – he was chairman of the dinner at Cyprus House – adding “he is the heart and soul of this club.” Michael Liosis is the interim vice president and secretary.

According www.cyprus-childrensfund.org, the Cyprus Children’s Fund, Inc., whose national chairman and president is Savas C. Tsivicos, “is a non-profit organization established in 1975 following the devastating Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus to alleviate the plight of hundreds of displaced children in Cyprus. This program is a one-on-one basis sponsorship program and every donated dollar goes to a child of the donor’s choice.”