ASTORIA – On March 8, the Federation of Dodecanese Societies USA celebrated the 72nd anniversary of the unification of the islands with the motherland Greece.
The celebration began with the Divine Liturgy at St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria and continued with the cultural event in the Petros G. Patrides Hall.
The well-attended event brought together representatives of the Dodecanese Societies and community members to commemorate the historic unification. John Sakellis of Kos, former Vice President of the Federation, gave the welcoming remarks and served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event. Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, Dean of St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, led the opening prayer.
The National Anthems of the U.S. and Greece were then performed by Areti Marangos and Markos Pavlakis, respectively, to enthusiastic applause.
Federation of Dodecanese Societies President Maria Marangos offered her greetings and thanked all those present for attending the event and commemorating the 72nd anniversary of Dodecanese unification. She noted that this year she would not give a typical speech but instead would read a piece written by Kalymnos-native Skevos Zervos, a prominent professor, pioneer surgeon, and philanthropist in Kalymnos and in Greece, who assisted Eleftherios Venizelos at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Zervos emphasized the Greek-ness of the Dodecanese and how its people who are Greek to their very souls longed for unification with the motherland Greece. Marangos then urged everyone to research the people and the history behind the statues we see on our islands and educate our children so they can learn where they came from and know where they are going. She said, “The community faces challenges every day and that is why we need unity so we can continue the struggle and remain free Greeks forever. Long live Greece, long live the islands, and long live the Dodecanese!”
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