NEW YORK – The Hellenic Medical Society (HMS) of NY welcomed the community to its annual Mardi Gras in the ballroom of Holy Trinity Cathedral on February 20. The kefi was fueled by food, music and the sight of children and adults in costume.

Roula Lambrakis welcomed the guests to the affair that was again celebrated in traditional Greek Apokries-Carnival fashion. She thanked everyone for their help and support and emphasized the value of transmitting Greek traditions to the community’s children.

Dr. Stella Lymberis, 1^st vice president of HMS greeted everyone and introduced the Apollo Orchestra, including Lefteris Bournias, Mavrothi Kontanis, Thomas Vrettos, Kostas Konstantinou and Christoforos Eleftheriades.

DJ John Hilas added to the fun, which included all the guests joining in the singing of traditional Greek Carnival songs.

Kyriakos Mytides, the chef of the Archdiocese – the guests raved about the fare – was another one of the evening’ s stars, but so were the adults and children who walked in with conventional dress and donned the blow-up costumes HMS provided.

One man criticized for coming in a suit whipped off his tie and prompted laughter when he declared, “I am the Prime Minister of Greece!”

Dr. George Liakeas, donning a colorful costume, dispensed good will all night long. He thanked to those who contributed to the event’s success, including Lambrakis, Dr. Lymberis and Evangelia Tsavaris, the HMS administrator.

He delighted the guests with a traditional joke – told in fluent Greek – and announced the latest HMS outreach initiative, a series of lectures and panels during parish coffee hours on Sundays, beginning with Holy Trinity on March 1.

Maria Drakos, host of the monthly Hellenic American Networking Group reception at Limani Restaurant in Roslyn, said, “this group knows how to have a great time …everyone should come next year!”

Miranda Kofinas, the wife of Dr. George Kofinas, loved the event, and her friend Catherine Moutousis, President of the Cathedral’s Philoptochos, who attended for the first time, came to support the Society and to honor the memory of her husband, Dr. George Moutousis. “The Society makes an excellent effort to unite all the doctors and reach out to the community,” she said.

James DeMetro, Director of the NY Greek Film Festival, who also attended for the first time, said HMS is a worthy group to support. “They have a wonderful scholarship program and it’s good to celebrate the traditions of apokries…it’s fun, and I am happy to see so many children here.”