August 20, 2007

A Message from the Supreme President

Welcome to the first issue of This Week For Greeks!
I'm proud to use my first address in This Week For Greeks! to announce our new and improved AHEPA.org website. If you have any suggestions or are inspired to help our online efforts, please contact our new webmaster at webmaster@ahepa.org.

A special thanks to Basil Mossaidis and our terrific AHEPA staff for helping us harness the power of the Internet to keep every Ahepan better informed and engaged on the issues important to our Order and our community. Over the next few months you'll see many more new and creative efforts to do this, and to reach out to new and younger members -- ensuring AHEPA's future!

Ike Gulas,
AHEPA Supreme President

News From Greece

EU Has Mixed Views on U.S. Visa Program
London (USA Today) -- August 09, 2007 -- Bush expanded the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, loosening rules in a way that make five more European countries eligible. The changes signed into law by Bush would enable business and leisure travelers from the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Estonia to enter the USA without visas, which can usually take four to 10 days to obtain. ... read more from USA Today

Cyprus Talks Set for Sept 5th
Cyprus (Kathimerini) -- August 22, 2007 -- Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat are to have talks on September 5 for the first time in more than a year in a bid to revive a stalled peace process on the island, United Nations officials said yesterday. ... read more from Kathimerini

Wildfire Hits Athens Suburbs
Athens (Reuters) -- August 16, 2007 -- A large forest fire fanned by strong winds swept across the northern Athens suburbs on Thursday, torching dozens of homes, cars and firetrucks with power cuts in parts of the Greek capital, officials said. ... read more from Reuters

Help Ahepan Scholars!

It's Back To School Time! -- That means books, pens, computers, dormatory and skyrocketing tuition costs. The AHEPA National Educational Foundation provides national and local scholarships so that young minds can grow. Let every child you see at church or in your neighborhood this week remind you that as costs grow, our educational fund must grow.

Can you help today with just $20 or more? Giving to AHEPA is now fast and easy.

Click here to give $20 today!

Inside AHEPA

AHEPA President Ike Gulas Speaks with Voice of America
In an interview with George Bistis, Chief, Greek Service, Voice of America on Monday August 6, AHEPA President Ike Gulas covered various issues concerning AHEPA and its future. To read the transcript, click either English or Greek.

To hear the entire interview (run time 09:53) please click here.

AHEPA and Coeus International School Form Partnership
Washington, DC - AHEPA and Coeus International School (CIS), a premier K-12 International Baccalaureate (IB) Candidate School, have formed a unique partnership to promote and preserve Hellenic Culture and language in school. ... read more

AHEPA President Ike Gulas Intervied by GreekNewsBlog
Washington, DC - Ike Gulas, international president of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), the leading association for the nation's 1.3 million American citizens of Greek ancestry, and Philhellenes, had an interview with John Metaxas of GreekNewsBlog on Saturday, July 28.

To hear the entire interview (run time 14:42) please click here.

Greek of the Week

Brother Alex P. Anderson - District 11 -- During last year's fund drive, when asked if he could help with the funding of AHEPAs new projects, Brother Anderson reached into his pocket and gave $1,000.00. For this, and all the outstanding work Brother Anderson has done in District 11, he's AHEPA's Greek of the Week!

Thank you Brother Anderson!