Greek American Wave of Solidarity

Posted by greek_news

New York.- Shaken by news of wildfires tearing through parts of their ancestral home, Greek-Americans around the country are extending a helping hand gathering money and supplies to aid victims in their motherland. Major Greek American organizations including Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, AHEPA, the Council for Hellenes Abroad and the Hellenic-American National Council have opened bank accounts to raise money for relief aid.

In response to the catastrophic fires plaguing Greece, Archbishop Demetrios, convened an emergency meeting of key advisors and staff members to mobilize the resources of the Archdiocese and greater community to respond to the tremendous needs of the people of this devastated nation. It was agreed that His Eminence would appoint a Special Committee of prominent Greek Americans who will oversee and coordinate the collection and distribution of monies raised by the Archdiocese through Her Greek Fire Relief Fund.

“We are witnessing unbelievable losses of lives and property but also of the livelihoods of countless individuals who will need assistance for many years to recover from this calamity” stated the Archbishop. “Greece, the birthplace of democracy, the place where the Olympics Games were born, the cornerstone of Western Civilization is experiencing unprecedented destruction with over 650,000 acres of forest and farmland reduced to ashes and more than 61 lives which have been lost so far. It is our sacred duty and obligation to offer whatever assistance we can at this most critical time” His Eminence reflected.

Following the meeting, the Archbishop, spoke with Mr. Andrew S. Natsios, the United States President’s Special Envoy for Sudan, who accepted to serve as Special Advisor to the Archbishop regarding the relief efforts of the Church in America. Mr. Natsios served as Director for the U.S. Agency for International Development (US Aid) which is the United States government agency that administers economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide. He has enormous experience in the area of offering philanthropic assistance and will employ his great experience and stellar reputation to assure that all funds collected for this disaster are used in the most responsible and efficient manner.

On Monday His Eminence was briefed by Mr. John Negroponte, the United States Deputy Secretary of State who updated the Archbishop about what steps the American government was taking to deal with the tragedy. His Eminence also received a call from the Ambassador of Greece to the United States, the Honorable Alexandros Mallias, in which they discussed the crisis.

A special encyclical was issued by the Eparchial Synod of the Holy Archdiocese which requested all parishes to offer special prayers on behalf of all those who have been adversely affected by this disaster and a special collection will take place in all churches for the Greek Fire Relief Fund of the Archdiocese.

Mrs. Georgia Skeadas, National Philoptochos President, announced today a donation of $50,000 as an immediate response of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society to the devastating fires in Greece that have destroyed lives, homes and the livelihood of hundreds of families. The donation to the Hellenic Red Cross was presented to His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios.

President Skeadas appealed to Philoptochos members throughout the United States to offer prayers “on behalf of the deceased victims of the fires as well as prayers for the survivors, that our merciful Lord bring them comfort, strength and resolve during these tragic days of the aftermath.” She further implores the members to open their hearts, to be munificent and to give their full support to His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios’ request for a special appeal in all the parishes.

AHEPA
AHEPA held multiple meetings in order to spear-head and coordinate Greek-American relief efforts in Greece. After multiple conversations with the U.S. Department of State, AHEPA President Ike Gulas has formulated and implemented a strategy to take the lead on Greek-American's efforts in assisting Greece during this ordeal. "In times of crisis, everyone, and rightfully so, feels the desire to drop everything and assist, however, if there isn't an established point or lead, then all efforts may not see fruition," said Gulas.

President Gulas has asked all the chapters to begin putting together care packages and send them to AHEPA Headquarters for delivery to the victims. In the event constructing a care package is too time consuming or difficult at this time, please send a check in the amount of $150 to AHEPA Headquarters, and we will do so on your chapter's or individual's behalf.

Moreover, Ambassador Alexandros Mallias, Greece's Ambassador to the U.S., visited last week AHEPA Headquarters and expressed the need of continued immediate and long-term assistance. The situation was described as being the "worst natural disaster" Greece has ever faced. Mallias also thanked AHEPA for its eagerness, willingness and determination to assist.

Via teleconference, President Gulas reiterated AHEPA's commitment to assisting the ongoing effort. Mr. Gulas also informed the Ambassador of its plan of soliciting the assistance of all firefighters willing to travel to Greece in order to fight the fires. "At present, we are working out the logistics, with the U.S. Department of State's guidance, to arrange transportation from the U.S. to Greece," added Gulas.

SAE
With a $50,000 personal donation to the project “Plant Your Roots in Greece,” aimed at victim relief and Greece’s reforestation, the Coordinator of SAE / USA Theodore G. Spyropoulos helped set the pace encouraging the Omogeneia to contribute for the restoration of Greece’s devastated ecosystem. Additional support began pouring in including a $5,000 donation from “Mistras Group Inc.” a company owned by Dr. Soterios and Aspasia Vahaviolos.

More than $32,000 was donated by Chicago's Greek community during a radiothon over Sotiris Rekoumis' Greek Hour Friday morning. The drive was organized by SAE / USA and the funds are contributed through the project Plant Your Roots in Greece.

“The mobilization of America’s Hellenes is immediate and heart rending,” Mr. Spyropoulos said. “It is particularly satisfying to witness the response of the younger generations who are contributing financially and are also forming volunteer groups. There is no doubt in my mind that Greece will resurrect its ecosystem out of the ashes.”

The first Pan American meeting for relief to the victims of the fires and reforestation in Greece was held Tuesday night in a teleconference organized by the World Council of Hellenes SAE / USA and the Hellenic American National Council. The President of AHEPA Mr. Ike Gulas, presidents of Federations-members of SAE and HANC and other donors and volunteers participated in the teleconference.

“The joint teleconference was phenomenal success and showed the value of unity and cooperation among HANC, SAE and AHEPA” says the president of Hellenic American National Council Mr. E. Velivasakis.

A telethon to raise funds on the East Coast was also announced at the meeting by SAE / USA Coordinator Theodore G. Spyropoulos. “The Hellenic media have been very supportive and we are grateful to all of them as they have carried accurate information and have covered our efforts,” he said. “On September 9 we will hold the first telethon on the National Hellenic Channel of America (NGTV) of Dimitri Kastanas, to raise relief and reforestation funds.” The telethon will be held from 2 p.m. to midnight.

In the near future, after total losses from the fires are assessed and major needs are identified, SAE / USA will call a Pan American meeting of leaders, major donors and distinguished Hellenes and phil-Hellenes to meet with Greek Ambassador Alexandros Mallias in Washington, Mr. Spyropoulos stated. “The meeting will aim to accurately inform America’s Hellenes.

“We are already in close contact with the Ambassador, our member organizations, the President of HANC Manolis Velivasakis, Greece’s national television network and various radio and television programs here and in Greece.

On Tuesday, September 4, 2007, the board of the American Hellenic Congress in conjunction with the World Council for Hellenes Abroad (SAE) is organizing a meeting of concerned citizens to explore ways of coordination to help our beloved Greece. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall of Dimitri’s on the Avenue (formerly the City Tavern) at 14316 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn (between Greenfield and Schaefer) (313-584-1515).

“Plant Your Roots in Greece,” a not-for-profit, tax exempt organization under the auspices of SAE / USA and HANC, offers contribution opportunities both to those who wish to support primarily victims of fire and those who wish to contribute to reforestation.

Depending on individual preference, donors to the relief and reforestation campaign can mail their checks to Chicago Community Bank, 234 S. Wabash Ave. FL2, Chicago, Illinois 60604-2365.

Mail checks to Chicago Community Bank, 234 S. Wabash Ave. FL2, Chicago, Illinois 60604-2365.

Make checks Payable to one of two accounts according to preference:
Plant Your Roots in Greece, Acct. # 459-0070-59, for reforestation. Or,
Plant Your Roots in Greece, Acct. # 2000-0394-84, for relief.
IBAN: 07004158

Fires under control except Mount Parnon

ATHENS (AFP) — A fire raged in Mount Parnon near the Greek town of Sparta for a ninth day Sunday but other blazes in the devastated Mediterranean country were under control, the fire services said.

Four water-bombing planes and a helicopter were deployed early Sunday to battle the blames around Mount Parnon but no villages were threatened, a spokesman for the fire service said.

"This day will be difficult again because we expect strong winds in the country's west, including the Peloponnese," he said but underlined that temperatures were expected to be lower in the Athens region.

The Peloponnese inferno started on August 24 in the wake of a heatwave, the third to hit Greece since the beginning of the summer. The fires have claimed at least 63 lives and destroyed 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of forests and farmland.

Greece was plunged into a national disaster as villages were consumed by flames that moved faster than a car and people were burned to death as they attempted to escape.

Two other planes and three helicopters were meanwhile dispatched Sunday to fight fires in the ancient town of Megalopolis and Karytaina in the central region of Arcadia and nearby Messenia, he said.

The official said three other fires which broke out nine days ago in the island of Eubee were still burning but under "partial control."

Two other blazes in Ionnina and Kilkis had been contained but a new one that broke out on Saturday in the northern prefecture of Imathia would be put under control later in the day, he added.

Fires in Greece Pictures 2007

UPDATE:
Wednesday October 10th, 2007


Residents trying to extinguish a burning house in the village of Smerna. Some of the raging fires, spread by dry winds, have been blamed on arsonists. In Areopolis, a town in the southern Peloponnese, a 65-year-old man was arrested and charged with arson and multiple counts of homicide in a fire that killed six people.

The winged statue of victory stands in front of smoke from fires in the village of ancient Olympia, near the birthplace of the Olympic games, in south-west Greece. A huge effort by firefighters, water-dropping aircraft and fire trucks succeeded in keeping a raging blaze away from the 2,800-year-old site - the holiest sanctuary in ancient Greece

Fire approaches houses at the village of Kalyvia, south of Athens

Men using a tractor try to extinguish a fire near ancient Olympia

A helicopter drops water in the forest over the Pelopio village near ancient Olympia

A man leaves the burning village near ancient Olympia

UPDATE:
Wednesday September 19th, 2007

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Greek soldiers evacuate an old man from a village near ancient Olympia

UPDATE:
Wednesday September 5th, 2007

mountains over ancient Olympia

Firefighters saved the temples and stadiums of ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, from forest fires that razed nearby villages and claimed the life of 60 people.

Building on forest land is forbidden in Greece, but unscrupulous developers are blamed for setting the fires in an effort to circumvent the law by disputing the area’s status. Greece has no land registry, so once a region has been burned and cleared, there is no definitive proof of whether it was initially forest, farm or field.

Tuesday September 4th, 2007

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Many parts of Greece have been struggling to cope with devastating fires that have killed more than 50 people.

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Farmers have seen their crops - and livelihoods - burning ferociously.

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Fires are affecting the capital, Athens, too. This picture of the Athens sky was sent to the BBC by Ava Babili.

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Konstantinos Topalidis also took pictures in the Greek capital. "It feels like snowing ashes and it is quite smoky," he says.

Monday September 3nd, 2007

BBC News website readers have sent in their photos of the fires in Greece. This one, from Aris Vidalis, shows how Athens looked on Saturday.

Dimitris Koukoulakis sent this photo from the village of Kalamos, north of Athens, overlooking the fires at Evia. Later the view disappeared as the smoke got thicker

"On Sunday we went to the sea for a swim. The sea was a different colour because of the countless pieces of coal and ash in it," said Mr Koukoulakis.

Moses Altsech, who sent this photo of fires in an affluent suburb of Athens, says that the government was not well prepared for the disaster.

"I went to the roof of my house to take pictures of the smoke in the sky. Everything was covered in ash," said Nassis Sarris, who took this picture.

Spyros Papanastasiou was observing a fire spreading quickly on one side of the road, when he noticed that another one started in the opposite direction."

"I was on the way to Gythio which is near Areopolis and I was standing beside the road just outside Oitilo," said Constantinos Vergos, who took this photo.

The sun set beneath a wall of smoke from the many fires around Athens. (Photo: Philip M Evans)

UPDATE:
Sunday September 2nd, 2007


The fires have covered Athens in white ash, forced thousands to flee their villages...


... and burned about 500 homes



But there will be enormous relief that the fires have not engulfed the Olympic museum, housing a number of famous classical sculptures such as Hermes by Praxiteles and other finds from the ruins of the temples and sports facilities.



Fire brigades evacuated hundreds of villages on the southern Peloponnese peninsula


Fires clearly visible from space

Firefighters managed to save the site of ancient Olympia - birthplace of the Olympics

Several EU countries have sent their own firefighers and equipment to help battle the country's worst forest fires in decades.


Firefighters are continuing to battle forest fires raging across southern Greece

In Athens, too, major fires encroached on the city, and aircraft were called in to help dampen the flames.

Fire services were stretched to the limit. Helicopters tried to douse the flames in the Peloponnese region, but high winds hampered the use of planes.

Dozens of people were caught up in the advancing flames, in their homes, or as they tried to flee in cars or on foot.

At dawn near Zaharo, in western Greece, forest fires continued to burn ferociously after a prolonged heatwave and drought. The daylight would bring horror to the town.

Smoke rose behind a beach last week on the Peloponnesian peninsula in Greece. With a barrage of deadly fires mostly extinguished or contained, tourists are returning.



A Canadair firefighting airplane sprays water over a fire in the village of Kyparissia on the Peloponnese peninsula. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso pledged EU support for Greece here Saturday as firefighters tackled the remains of an eight-day inferno that has killed at least 63 people

This picture released by the Greek Prime Minister's Office shows Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis(R) bidding farewell to President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso after their meeting in Athens. Barroso pledged EU support for Greece here Saturday as firefighters tackled the remains of an eight-day inferno that has killed at least 63 people

Firefighters battle blaze on the outskirts of Karytena on the Peloponnese peninsula. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso pledged EU support for Greece here Saturday as firefighters tackled the remains of an eight-day inferno that has killed at least 63 people.

Firefighters battle blaze on the outskirts of Karytena on the Peloponnese peninsula, 01 September. A fire raged in Mount Parnon near the Greek town of Sparta for a ninth day Sunday but other blazes in the devastated Mediterranean country were under control, the fire services said.

Planes douse a blaze on the outskirts of Karytena on the Peloponnese peninsula, 01 September. A fire raged in Mount Parnon near the Greek town of Sparta for a ninth day Sunday but other blazes in the devastated Mediterranean country were under control, the fire services said.

Smoke and flames from a forest fire are seen behind the houses of a village in south Peloponnese, about 350 km (217 miles) from Athens, August 26, 2007. Weak zoning laws, careless farmers and smoldering garbage dumps are the main reasons for the forest fires that have killed 63 and destroyed whole rural economies in Greece in recent days, Greenpeace said on Monday.

A wreath sits on a burnt firefighting truck outside the village of Artemida on the Peloponnese peninsula. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso headed to Athens to "show solidarity" with Greeks traumatised by forest fires which have killed scores of people and surged once again on Friday

A Greek Red Cross member walks next to the burnt car of Artemida's village mayor at Peloponnese peninsula. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso headed to Athens to "show solidarity" with Greeks traumatised by forest fires which have killed scores of people and surged once again on Friday.