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Betting on Heritage: NY NHS Chapter Hosts Fundraiser for Heritage Greece

By Athena Efter on January 3, 2026

by Athena Efter

The New York Heritage Greece Initiative recently held a fundraiser to benefit The National Hellenic Society’s (NHS) Heritage Greece Program at the Strathmore Vanderbilt Country Club in Manhasset, LI. The event featured an art exhibition, and charity poker tournament and ladies’ black jack tournament, all in the name of charity, well into the midnight hour.

The organizing committee

Founded over 15 years ago, the mission of the NHS is to advance Hellenism and continue its legacy, especially among the next generation of Greek-Americans, through its Heritage Greece Program, which is a two-week cultural and educational immersion program for qualifying Greek-American college students who participate in a cross-cultural exchange with peers from either the American College of Greece in Athens, or, more recently the Anatolia American University in Thessaloniki, which was added in 2022. Over 100 students, including 9 Greek Canadian students, have the opportunity annually to apply to this rewarding cultural and educational enrichment initiative. Students only have to pay for their personal expenses, additional meals, and airfare to Greece. All other expenses, such as tuition, accommodations, meals, transportation within Greece, and other program related costs are covered by the funds raised. The selection process is handled by the two schools in Greece, and students must have a 3.0 grade point average.

Thomas Tsamis, Angelo Sahlaras, Nick Sahlaras and friends

Board of Directors Chair Lea Soupata stated that although they have many programs that they sponsor, like PBS programming and Greek cooking show maven Diane Kochilas, Heritage Greece is the NHS’ signature program in an effort to preserve Hellenic heritage, especially among Greek-American students, and those who may be of dual heritages. Students get to choose between two major cultural and historic hubs, Athens or Thessaloniki, once they are accepted into the program. Students have the opportunity to “develop a network, develop friendships, and continue in this network, and then we try to support the network through local activities for them, and we have over 1000 alumni now. We even have a few couples that got married through this network.”

Lia Frankis, Stelio Frankis

Former students, brother and sister Stelios and Lia Frankis, shared their impressions of the Heritage Greece program. According to Stelios, “the program was very eye opening to me. We’ve been lucky to travel to Greece other times, but this gave us the opportunity to see Greece through a completely different lens. We toured all of the major monuments, visited museums, and got to meet other Greek-American kids from across the nation and build lifelong relationships that I still cherish to this day.” Likewise, his sister Lia added that “this program is the epitome of what needs to be done to preserve the Greek-American heritage, because it’s always one generation away from disappearing. This program does a really good job of maintaining that bond, so that Greek-Americans still feel connected to the homeland.” She also mentioned that for many of the students who attended the program that she met during her own odyssey eight years ago, this was their first time to Greece, and it really gave them a chance to see Greece through a different lens. For Stelios, the highlight was seeing the ancient agora, where many philosophers spoke, and getting a personalized tour of over 2000 years of history, connecting him back to that history and understanding all the foundations of what he loves and cherishes today. Both he and his sister are still actively involved in the NHS and promote the program.

Harriet Nikakis, Lisdalia Martins, Angela Temple, Katherine Spucces

NHS Executive Director Arthur Dimopoulos emphasized the importance of the program as being a “parea with a purpose”. Parea in Greek means a gathering of friends. He went on to state that “what we do really well is connect fourth and fifth generations to their roots in a way that’s inclusive, exciting, and with a customer centric approach. Next year our goal is to keep 15-20 students there and plug them into companies or entities that align with their career path, as a type of internship.”

The hosting committee, Maria Frankis, Amy Belesis, Marilena Katopodis, Jimmy Belesis, Art Dimopoulos, NHS Executive Director

The evening was indeed a “parea with a purpose” of friends and supporters getting together for a fun night of food, drink, gaming, and gambling for a cause. The main room was set up with several poker tables, each with its own dealer, and filled with groups of friends, primarily men, trying their luck at the game of poker. A smaller room was set up for the game of blackjack for the ladies only tournament. And for those not so much into the sport of gambling, there were plenty of ways to be part of the “parea with a purpose”. The outdoor terrace was a great way to catch up with friends, while still supporting the initiative. And for those more creatively inclined, the spotlight was on three, local, talented Greek and Greek-American artists whose beautiful work was featured for purchase. All the artists were present. Anna Frangoulis Atelier featured her stunning Byzantine iconography incorporating traditional techniques. Each piece was handcrafted with high-quality egg tempera paints and gold leaf, showcasing her unique expression. Penny Strong, a resident of Northport, Long Island, presented her skills as a self-taught painter who developed her painting talent later in life, upon retirement. Her work is described as abstract expressionism inspired by water themes and flowers producing a sense of movement. And lastly, Despina Zografos, a visual artist who hails from the Greek island of Crete, presented her unique creations that include a variety of mediums, such as hand cut paper, acrylics, cyanotype, photography, and video. Many of her pieces reflect her childhood memories of complex geometric patterns inspired by the crochets and embroideries of the women in her.

Ilias Theodoropoulos, Greg Giannakopoulos and friends

It was a wonderful evening of “high stakes” for a noble cause. Attendees were united in their purpose: to support Hellenic culture and help ensure that future generations of Greek-American youth remain connected to their heritage.