Greek Americans come together to save a museum in Greece



Michael Halkias, owner of the historic Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn, loves history and oftentimes finds himself surfing on the Internet for information on ancient Greece and new discoveries that shed more light on that remarkable phase in human history. Usually, these forays into his ancestors’ times and places prove to be a fascinating experience.

However, about two months ago, when he saw online that the Diros Neolithic Studies Institute and its museum in Mani, on the southern tip of Peloponnesus, was about to close down because cuts in public funding due to the economy had resulted in non-payment of its rent, he was appalled. “I felt I had to do something immediately. To me closing down such a significant institution because there is no money to pay the rent, was simply not acceptable.”

He took action on the spot and sought the phone number of Dr. George Papathanasopoulos, curator of the institute and director of the Diros excavations, in order to see what could be done. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that getting some money for the immediate expenses wasn’t a solution to the problem,” Mr. Halkias said in an interview with NEO. “Instead of making a donation, I decided to do something bigger, so that more funds could come in and awareness would be spread.”

He made more phone calls: to SAE of America Coordinator Ted Spyropoulos, to the President of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York Dimitrios Calamaras, the President of the Hellenic Medical Society Dr. George Tsioulias, the Pan Arcadian Federation President Dimitris Filios, to the Brotherhood of Mani, the Federation of Laconian Societies, and other groups and individuals, with the aim to secure donations and organize a Testimonial Dinner for the benefit of the Museum Building.

The response was forthcoming and Mr. Halkias with his wife Alice offered their palace, the Grand Prospect Hall, for the occasion and made an additional donation of $10,000. The event was an astounding success and more than $50,000 was raised, giving the Museum enough time to look for more donors and ways to secure its presence.

US Senator Charles Schumer and US Congressman Anthony Weiner also showed up and addressed the over-250 participants. “Greek culture is not just the center of our ways of thinking, it is our very way of being,” Senator Schumer said. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with various leaders from New York City issued proclamations saluting the occasion.

SAE of USA Coordinator Ted Spyropoulos travelled all the way from Chicago to participate “in such an important fundraiser.” In an interview with NEO, he said that when times are tough for Greece “we can only do what we can to help and keep criticism or hard feelings for later. Especially when our heritage is at stake, as the case is with the Diros Neolithic Studies Institute.”

Christos Orphanakos, former President of the Brotherhood of Mani, coordinated the various societies and, addressing the participants, expressed his heartfelt thanks for their support.

When his turn came, thanks and his gratitude to all who made the event possible were expressed by archaeologist George Papathanasopoulos, with whom Mr. Halkias had the original conversation when he saw the Museum’s SOS on the Internet. “What they have done is a great service to our heritage and to humanity in general,” Dr. Papathanasopoulos said in an interview with NEO. “Of course, the struggle is not going to stop and we need more help to secure the Museum. It is my dream to be able to see it financially sound and to be able to hire a younger director to continue the work.”

Archaeologist Papathanasopoulos of many-years fame with the Athens Acropolis Museum, for some time the head of the archaeological sub-aquatic explorations with the legendary Sea Explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau, has been the explorer of the largest European Prehistoric Caves located at Diros, in Mani. Presently Mr. Papathanasopoulos continues his work with the Diros Neolithic Studies Institute, while minding the future explorations at the Alepotrypa Caves, with their 8000-year-old exciting prehistoric findings of a thriving, fully civilized community; all that amongst the many other archaeological discoveries and scholarly publications related to the Aegean Proto-Hellenic Civilization, the Mycenaean Palaces of King Nestor at Pylos, and the Minoan civilizations on the island of Crete.

Diros Neolithic Museum contains exclusively objects from a single geographical and cultural unit. The basic objectives of the exhibition are to facilitate communication between visitors and the exhibits, and an understanding of each object within the overall group so as to make it easy for visitors to form an idea of the life of the Neolithic community.

To contact Dr. Papathanasopoulos his email is
gpapathanasopoulos@yahoo.gr

©2010 NEOCORP MEDIA

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