TAMPA, FL – The AHEPA Family of Tampa hosted a scholarship and social dinner at the Floridan Palace Hotel on December 21. The event was open to family, friends, and members of the community celebrating the Christmas Season and to congratulating the recipients of the AHEPA Family Scholarships.

AHEPA is committed to preserving and promoting the principles of Hellenism, Humanity, Freedom, and Democracy and its goal is to educate the communities in which they live about these values.

The mission of AHEPA is to promote through community service and volunteerism, the ancient Hellenic ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and individual excellence. Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, AHEPA is the largest and oldest association of American citizens of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes with more than 400 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

“The Lycurgus Chapter #12 of AHEPA in Tampa was established on January 7, 1924 by 25 American citizens of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes. The ‘Niki’ Chapter #39 of the Maids of Athena in Tampa was established in 1939 and was the first Maids Chapter in Florida. We reactivated it on November 23, 2014. The ‘Alcmaeon’ Chapter #167 of the Daughters of Penelope in Tampa was established in 1938 by the female leaders of the community and has served the community for 79 years,” President of Lycurgus Chapter 12 and Past Supreme Governor Gus Paras said.

The AHEPA Family of Tampa Scholarship program was established by the Order of AHEPA and the Daughters of Penelope in 2010 and now is in its ninth year. The program has awarded 35 scholarships to worthy students of AHEPA families.

This year, the scholarships were awarded to four very promising young students, Frank Nicholas Giallourakis, Nicholas John Katzaras, Harry Nicholas Koutroumanis, and John Brigham Sibley.
“What I think it means to be a scholarship recipient, I would say is someone who belongs to the community and is active in it,” said the former scholarship recipient and District Governor of Sons of Pericles Savvas Ferekides who is now a freshman studying computer engineering at the University of Florida.

The evening began with the Victorian Carol Singers Quartet singing Christmas songs and carols in English, French, and German.

Among those present, the Consul General of Greece in Tampa Dimitrios Sparos, Daughters of Penelope District Governor Ourania Stephanides, and AHEPA District 2 Governor Gus Pantelides attended the event and congratulated all the scholarship recipients.