THE HELLENIC INITIATIVE’S 4TH ANNUAL GALA RAISES MORETHAN $2 MILLION Event Honors Greek NGOs METAdrasi & Together for Children; Special Grant Announced for Greek Athletes’ Preparation for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

The Hellenic Initiative’s (THI) Fourth Annual Gala took place on September 30 in New York City, and raised a total of more than $2 million, which will be directed in programs that are expected to create a positive, long–‐lasting, impact in Greek society.

With more than 700 guests, THI’s banquet was attended, by prominent members of the Greek Diaspora community and major Philhellenes from around the world.

Keynoting the gala was Admiral Jim Stavridis , USN (Ret), Dean The Fletcher school of Law and Diplomacy ,Tufts University.

With the banquet’s main theme focusing ,as every year on the empowerment of Greece’s future ,THI honored two very active and impactful Greek NGO’s ; (1) METAdrasi – which offers interpretation services to immigrants and protection to unaccompanied children ,and (2) Together for Children – which is a union of Nonprofit children welfare NGO’s.

A Special recognition award was conferred on ReGeneration ,an innovative paid internship program for the Greek graduates , sponsored jointly by The Coco –Cola Company and THI. The program focuses on building “employability” and battling Greece’s “brain drain”.

A special tribute was made to four Olympic Greek athletes: Lefteris Petrounias ,Katerina Stefanidi, and Spyros Gianniotis and Greek American Helen Maroulis – all of whom competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games .THI also will be supporting Greek athletes who plan on participate in 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Thi’s annual gala Fundraiser fully aligns with the organization’s main mission ,which is to support Greek society during the current financial crisis , through focusing on crisis relief , entrepreneurship and economic development.

Over the past four years, THI’s crisis relief programs have benefited ,among others : thousands of people with more than two million meals ,more thank 10,000 thousand children with vaccinations, more than 13,000 with primary and secondary dental treatments .

In addition $ 4,250,000 was distributed to 14 Greek startups through The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award; 233 paid Internships have been secured through the ReGeneration program ; more than 400 business ideas have been mentored through the VentureGarden program; and young and talented Greek’s were given the chance to participate in the internship programs in the leading U.S and Australian companies .

World Liberty TV,Team was on hand at the THI’s 4th Annual Gala ,see some of the Donor’s Honoree’s are behind this great program ,right here in our World Liberty TV, Cultural channel.