NEW YORK –  “This award belongs to the 25,000 ladies who comprise the Philoptochos societies all over America who assist those who suffer,” said Aphrodite Skeadas, the president of National Philoptochos, when she received the Humanitarian and Philanthropic Award of the Cyprus Children’s Fund.

She added that for eight decades the members of the Philoptochos Society have been making contributions to their parishes and local communities, have supported St. Basil’s Academy, the St. Michael’s Home for the elderly,  and other charitable institutions in the United States, Greece and Cyprus .

Skeadas noted that in 2012 donations to Philoptochos reached $1.6 million and predicted that the amount will be even greater in 2013 because of the special needs arising from the crises in Greece and Cyprus .

The award ceremony took place on December 7, during the annual testimonial dinner at Terrace on the Park in Flushing that marked the 39th anniversary of the establishment of the Fund.

Consul General of Cyprus Koula Sophianou was presented Prize Good Ambassador Award.

The President of the Fund, Savvas Tsivikos, spoke about the growth of the organization that was established in 1974 and so far has offered assistance to more than one thousand children who were orphaned during the Turkish invasion , to the children of refugees, and to the children of homeless families in Cyprus.

Prior to the award ceremony, the guests viewed a documentary by Alana Kakoyiannis titled “Looking Back, Looking to the Future,” which was dedicated to the telling the story of the Fund.

Tsivikos emphasized that  the need for assistance has increased due to the Cypriot economic crisis and invited the guests to become sponsors of the children whose names were placed on trees that were put on each table .

The dinner was attended Manos Koumbarakis, the Greek Consul, Philip Christopher, president of PSEKA, Tassos Efstratiades, president the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey, George Kitsios, president of the Greek Children’s Fund,  Nikos Gavalas,  president of the Amorgos Foundation, Costas Tsentas, president of the Cyprus Federation of America, Stephen Cherpelis , who was honored last year and other community leaders.