LONDON – Greek pop star Elli Kokkinou will be headlining the entertainment at the London Gala of The Hellenic Initiative on Thursday, September 30 at the Dorchester, 54 Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London.

The Hellenic Initiative (THI), a global nonprofit organization that brings together Diaspora Greeks and Philhellenes to invest in the future of Greece through programs focused on crisis relief, entrepreneurship, and economic development, will be hosting it 5th London Gala.

The Gala will honor the work of ELEPAP the ELIZA society for the prevention of cruelty to children

Reception is at 7 PM and Dinner and Awards begins at 8 PM, followed by Entertainment at 10 PM.

The Host Committee includes Constantine M. Logothetis, THI London Board Member, Nikos Stathopoulos, THI Board Member, and Princess Tatiana, THI International Ambassador and the sponsors include Panagiotis Marios, Stella Bombotsiari, Apostolos and Despina Gkoutzinis, Milbank, and Telis Mistakidis.

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos, Edward Carrer, Haris and Kirstin Contaroudas, Panos and Tatiana Katsambas,

Reed Smith, Constantine and Christina Logothetis,

Tassos Papantoniou, Nikos Stathopoulos, and Nicholas and Katia Trimmatis are Benefactors. Supporters include Elias Bouzalas, Chartworld, and

Marianna Moschou.

Business Attire is required and tickets, which start at £300, can be purchased at https://www.eventora.com/en/Events/2021-this-london-gala.

NEW YORK GALA ON DECEMBER 4

THI’s 9th Annual New York Gala will be held Saturday, December 4 at Cipriani Wall Street.

According to its website, thehellenicinitiative.org, THI’s mission is “investing in the future of Greece through direct philanthropy and economic revitalization. We empower people to provide crisis relief, encourage entrepreneurs, and create jobs. We are The Hellenic Initiative (THI) – a global movement of the Greek Diaspora.”

Kokkinou is among the most popular singers in Greece today, growing up in a family with a love of music. Her father encouraged her to listen jazz and mother nudged her towards to pop music. At the Attiko Conservatory she studied acoustic and electric guitar. Kokkinou is also an athlete. As a member of her high school’s water ski team she won third place in a pan-Hellenic championship.

After graduating her first band was ‘Anonimi’ and in 1996 she signed a contract with Sony Music Greece and in 1998 she released her first CD single titled Kapia Mera (Someday). In 1999 she released her debut album titled ‘Epikindyna Dechnidia – Dangerous Games.’

In May 2012, she opened an English language nursery school in the Athens suburb of Glyfada called Happy Faces, saying that she got the idea when she was reading the story ‘Bondo in Kindergarten’ to her son Alexander about a little bear that attended nursery school.