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are now at $1,760,000. Many thanks to our PAA Treasurer, Dr. James Saklas, and our Investment Chair, Mr. John Russon, for all of their hard work. • Our PAA Foundation serves as the principal revenue source to fund our cultural programs, our scholarships and our philanthropic efforts. This past year, under the direction of Foundation Chair John Marakis, we launched the PAA 300 program. Its goal is to make our funds for these three areas self-sufficient to provide our chairs with the resources to implement and manage their programs. Your pledge of $1,000 a year for the next 10 years will make this possible. I urge you and your chapters to join this program to insure our future ability to deliver programs that support our mission. • Our organization’s main source of communication is through our District Governors. They provide the link between the National Board and our local chapters. They also help us execute our programs and have been instrumental in our success. Many thanks to 1st District, Demitris Hatzis, 2nd District Zaharoula Marmatakis, 3rd District, Stan Vitakis, 4th District George Stefanakis, 5th District, George Liodakis, 6th District, Roxanne Koston, and the 7th District, Dianne Sophinos. • I have saved our most important achievement for last. That is, the contribution we have made to our homeland in their time of need. I cannot say enough about the role our Philanthropic Chair, Evangeline
since the war efforts and, most recently, the fires in Greece and Hurricane Katrina, have so many PAA members mobilized to support the people and programs that needed our help. Thanks to all of you for all you have done. • Our Pilgrimage to Constantinople was one where 24 members of the PAA, including the 2nd Vice President Stavros Antonakakis and his son Joseph, were escorted to visit the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Arrangements were made by our Representative Ippokratis Beladakis to have with us His Eminence Irineos, Archbishop of Crete; The Arximandreti and Antiprosopo tou Oikoumenikou Patriarxiou Father Makarios and His Eminence Evgenios Metropolitan of Rethymno. The Patriarch welcomed and thanked the PAA for its contributions over the years and for all that it continues to do for the island of Crete, in the U.S. and for our Greek Orthodox Church all over the world. There are so many people to thank that made our accomplishments possible over the past two years. A very big thank you to all of you! For without you, none of this would have been possible. I need to individually thank a few people and will start with Former PAA Presidents: Ted Manousakis, whose assistance and help for a smooth transition from one administration to the other was great and was always available to help, as were Manny Velivasakis, Stavros Semanderes and Costa Stamatakis. I also want to thank my fam??????? ?? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????, ily, my mother, my in-laws, Thea, my cous?? ??? ?? ????? ??? ????, ? ????? ?? ???????. ins and all of my dear friends in Detroit and Chicago. Our convention consultant ???? ?? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??????, Michael Kalaitzakis, and my koumbaroi ???????? ????? ? ???? ?? ? ???? ??????????. and partners, and our advertisers for the back page of the magazine for the past Alpogianis, her committee, and all of you and your two years, John Bertakis and Andy Eliopoulos. chapters have had in generating donations for Crete I thank my wife Elena and my children, Patricia, Relief. Our two fundraisers, “Agape on the Terrace” George and Lainey, for without their help, support, asand “Fundraiser at City Porch,” both held in Chica- sistance and more importantly, their patience, none of go, raised over $120,000 for this relief effort. With this would have been possible. chapter and individual funds, we totaled more than “I am truly blessed to have been born a Cretan!” $200,000. Your contributions were personally delivI now complete my term as PAA president. Thank ered to the soup kitchens and clinics from one end you, fellow Cretans, for the honor and trust you have of Crete to the other. I was put in touch with the shown me, thank you for