CHICAGO – The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) will hold its Annual Gala “Connecting Generations” on May 12 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. Emceed by WGN’s Very Own Dean Richards, the night will feature the musical stylings of the popular Chris Sarlas Orchestra, featuring vocals by George Dimas and Voula Karahaliou. To continue the lively night, The Levendes, featuring singer Nikos Koutras will take the stage for a rousing evening of great Greek music and dancing. In celebration and support of the educational outreach provided by the Museum, NHM Gala 2018 brings Greek Americans, family and friends together to experience the best in Greek American entertainment, while fundraising for an important cause.

Both of the incredible bands showcase the most talented Greek American musicians and singers from Chicago, Detroit, and New York City. For the past fifteen years, Chris Sarlas has successfully established himself as one of the most popular, highly respected, and talented bandleaders in Chicago’s special event industry. He and the select members of his Orchestra consistently provide exemplary performances, impressing guests of all ages. Since they began performing together twenty years ago, The Levendes took the U.S. Greek community by storm. They give a unique flair to traditional and contemporary Greek music with a vast repertoire of dimotika, nisiotika, rebetika and modern laika that brings crowds to their feet and to the dance floor. The Levendes have performed with many Greek stars ranging from the trio bel canto to Yiannis Parios and Makis Hristodoulopoulos. Nikos Koutras is a well-known Greek singer in New York City. Niko has worked all over Greece and toured across Europe. In the course of his career in Greece, he was fortunate enough to work with some of the biggest names in Greek music scene, such as Vasilis Karras, Paschalis Terzis, Pitsa Papadopoulou, Stavros Fotiadis, Zafiris Melas, Jenny Vanou, Marianthi Kefala, Makis Chistodoulopoulos, George Margaritis, Antipas, Stratos Dionisiou, Angie Samiou, Effie Sarris, Nikos Kourkoulis, Valantis, Sabrina, Tasos Bougas, Litsa Giagkousi, Katerina Stanisi, Haris Kostopoulos, George Xanthiotis, and George Kabouridis.

Philanthropic support from NHM Gala 2018 will benefit the tens of thousands of people – children and adults – who visit the National Hellenic Museum every year through fieldtrips, tours and dynamic cultural and historical programs. Last year, the NHM achieved a 29 percent year-over-year increase in people served. Operationally, the NHM has been highly efficient with 81 cents of every dollar spent on programming, an excellent ratio among nonprofit museums.

The Museum preserves the largest collection of artifacts and oral histories dedicated to the Greek American story anywhere. Special events like NHM Gala 2018 help to fund programming, and, as highlighted in this year’s theme, the protection of the museum archives and the important historical memories preserved for all. The artifacts in the NHM Collections & Archives serve as a crucial component of Museum’s educational outreach.

Individual NHM Gala tickets are $350 and tables of 10 are $3,200. To purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, visitwww.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/gala or call 312-655-1234 x28. Hotel reservations also can be made online.

About the National Hellenic Museum

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) portrays and celebrates Greek heritage and the Hellenic legacy through educational classes, exhibits and programs. With a growing repository of over 20,000 artifacts, the Museum catalogs and highlights the contributions of Greeks and Greek Americans to the American mosaic and inspires curiosity about visitors’ own family journeys through cultural expression, oral history and experiential education. Located in Chicago’s Greektown, the NHM provides lifelong learning for the whole community using artifacts and stories to spark inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives.

For more information, visit http://www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234. Follow NHM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.