|
|
THANK YOU TO THE OVER 50,000 PEOPLE FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH
LOUKOUMI
|
|
|
|
|
2016 MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH LOUKOUMI
& BUS TOUR
|
Thank you to the over 50,000 children and adults across the country who made a difference with Loukoumi on national Make A Difference Day October 22. Individually and collectively through our Make A Difference With Loukoumi project, we proved that we can all make the world a better place. The Loukoumi Make A Difference movement started in 2009 with the release of the book,
Loukoumi's Good Deeds, and its companion CD narrated by Jennifer Aniston. That year we started our participation in National Make A Difference Day, a day that unites millions of Americans each October. In 2014 our Make A Difference with Loukoumi project was awarded a National Make A Difference Award and today we have teamed up with organizations around the world, highlighted below, who are all making a difference with Loukoumi. In New York, we rented a school bus that transported over 50 amazing children and adults to four good deed stops throughout the area. Let's have a look below at the wonderful good deeds done by our bus riders, and throughout the United States and beyond.
Special thanks to Jillian Nelson for photographing our very special day!
|
|
|
BUS STOP 1: WESTCHESTER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
 |
The first stop on the 2016 Loukoumi Good Deed Bus Tour was at the Westchester Children's Museum in Rye, NY where the Loukoumi Foundation debuted the new Make A
Difference with Loukoumi exhibit, sponsored by Michael and Robin Psaros and KPS Capital Partners, LP. The Exhibit is a learning library where families can learn about the lessons in the Loukoumi books in furtherance of the Foundation's message of
"teaching children to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others."
The Loukoumi Foundation presented the second half of its $20,000 donation to the Museum for the building of the Exhibit. The book
"Growing Up With Loukoumi"
was also read in honor of the installation of the new Loukoumi magnetic wall in the exhibit, where kids can discuss their career choices while placing different hats on the characters in the Loukoumi book series. The next phase of the Loukoumi exhibit will include a Storytime Kiosk where children can record their own good deed stories and career dreams. On Make A Difference with Loukoumi Day, museum visitors made caring cards for patients at The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Yonkers, NY and brought books to donate to kids with the assistance of The Philoptochos from The Church Of Our Saviour in Rye, NY. Special thanks to Tracy Kay and everyone at the Museum!
|
|
|
|
|
BUS STOP 2: FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
| For the second year in a row, Loukoumi's next bus stop was at Fordham University where during the Fordham/Georgetown Football game, the Foundation joined the Fordham Baseball team by collecting equipment for a baseball program at schools in need including The Bethel School and the Merlene Ottey High School on the island of Jamaica. Players will also record instructional videos for the students and in conjunction with the Joey Foundation the equipment will be shipped to the schools. Joey Foundation Founder Ann Torcivia is planning a visit to the schools in the Spring. Special thanks to Dean Greg Pappas, Coach Kevin Leighton and the Rams and everyone at Fordham University. |
 |
|
|
|
|
BUS STOP 3: BUILDING HOPE: THE NEW YONKERS ANIMAL SHELTER
|
|
The third stop was at Building Hope: The New Yonkers Animal Shelter, where kids were greeted by Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. Children riding the bus arrived with all types of supplies to donate to the shelter and were treated to a tour of the facility. Special thanks to Dr. Kay Pistone, Director Almira Simpson, Deputy Commissioner Steve Sansone and Effie Samios.
|
|
|
|
BUS STOP 4: HOLY TRINITY, NEW ROCHELLE
|
 |
The final stop of the day was hosted by the community at Holy Trinity Church in New Rochelle. The stop was an end of the day good deed celebration with a DJ, food and tables with over twenty schools and groups showcasing their good deed projects benefiting their favorite charities including: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The American Cancer Society, The Susan Komen Foundation, The Wolf Conservation Center of South Salem, BOSCES and Got Comfort, NY Cares Coat Drive, The Loukoumi Baseball project, The Thirst Project, The Joey Foundation, The Eastchester Middle School Coat Drive, Ionian Village, The Hope Project, The Philoptochos Literacy Project by The Church Of Our Saviour, soup kitchens, animal shelters and many more!
Special thanks to Fr. Nick Anctil, Fr. Patrick, Constance and Georgeann Mavrovitis, Cynthia Herzegovitch, Manny Louros, Paulie and Christina Roufanis, Bill Gianaris, Joe Keane and AHEPA, Marina Sirras and the entire Holy Trinity Community for a wonderful event!
|
|
|
|
NOW LET'S SEE HOW ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY (AND THE WORLD) MADE A DIFFERENCE WITH LOUKOUMI
|
|
|
|
|
GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY
|
 |
|
Special thanks to the National Philoptochos Society, which performed thousands of good deeds at chapters across the country! From New York to Hawaii and Florida to Seattle, chapters nationwide set out to do over 8,500 good deeds this year in honor of Philoptochos' 85th anniversary and in celebration of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios' Nameday. And they did even better than that topping an amazing 10,000 good deeds!
Projects included collecting and assembling health kits to help victims of disaster, collecting turkeys, canned goods, and all essential Thanksgiving trimmings for food banks, clothing drives, making thank you cards for Veterans and caring cards for patients in children's hospitals, the Hawaii chapter walked for Breast Cancer Awareness, and many, many, many more good deeds nationwide.
Philoptochos Project Chair Anita Kartalopoulos said, "Our goal was to create a Sea of Good Deeds from the hearts and hands of our children, guided by the Philoptochos, the 'par excellence' Doers of Good Deeds." Loukoumi began collaborating with Philoptochos in 2012. We cannot think of a better partner for us to emulate than Philoptochos and their good work. Thank you Anita, National Philoptochos President Maria Logus and all the wonderful Philoptochos chapters nationwide for making a difference with Loukoumi!
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
PACER'S NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION CENTER
|
|
For the second year in a row The Loukoumi Foundation teamed up with Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center encouraging schools to engage in numerous anti-bullying activities including reading
Loukoumi and The Schoolyard Bully or listening to the CD narrated by Nia Vardalos and Morgan Freeman. Meanwhile, Loukoumi bus riders on Make A Difference Day wore orange Loukoumi t-shirts - the color of anti-bullying! Pictured above (center) a school district in Williamsville, NY made a unity chain with messages of kindness, acceptance and inclusion, an elementary school in Austin TX wore orange to show their unity against bullying and bottom left a school in Port Washington, NY created a smile face emoji with their student body. Just some of the projects nationwide. As PACER says,
"the end of bullying begins with you!"
|
|
|
|
KIWANIS
|
Kiwanis International participated in Make A Difference Day including Fordham Kiwanis who made a difference with Loukoumi by collecting baseball supplies for two schools on the island of Jamaica at the Fordham football game (pictured center with President Juliana Krammer). Past Kiwanis International President Tom DeJulio (left) and past first lady Rosemary DeJulio (right) also made a difference with Loukoumi by visiting us at the Children's Museum of Westchester, making cards and donating books. Other Kiwanis clubs also hosted projects to support anti-bullying.
|
|
|
|
THE ANNE HUTCHINSON SCHOOL
|
|
The Anne Hutchinson School, who received our 2015 Loukoumi Make A Difference Award, participated in Make A Difference with Loukoumi Day through their Operation Sandwich project. Over 700 bags of sandwiches were brought into school by the students along with wonderful notes for the Grace Church soup kitchen in White Plains, NY. Loukoumi joined in the fun too by visiting the school and thanking the kids. Special thanks to Principal Dr. Annette Keane, Mrs. Maldari, Mrs. Iacovelli, AnnMarie, MaryEllen Byrne and Flo!
|
|
|
|
In June 2015 we also awarded The Chapel School with a Loukoumi Make A Difference Award and it's no surprise that they ran their exemplary Make a difference program again this year. Thank you Kate Marino and the entire Chapel community for another wonderful event. Projects included making pillow cases, placemats for a soup kitchen and stickers to adorn donated canned goods, just to name a few. Bravo to an amazing school, setting an amazing example for our children!
|
|
|
|
ST. DEMETRIOS SCHOOL FOR ST. JUDE
|
|
Let's hear it for St. Demetrios School in Astoria who through their bracelet making project raised $2,500 to start for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The students also assembled a beautiful book of artwork and cards for the patients and presented it all on Make A Difference Day to Tim Bayly, Senior Philanthropic Advisor to St. Jude. Loukoumi (above) looks on with pride!
|
|
|
|
WILLIAM SPYROPOULOS SCHOOL COAT DRIVE
|
|
Congratulations to 2016 Loukoumi Make A Difference Award recipient The Willaim Spyropoulos School and the Xylas family (pictured here at Holy Trinity on Make A Difference Day) who held their amazing coat drive for NY Cares for the second year in a row. Thank you for making a difference with Loukoumi!
|
|
|
|
THE JOEY FOUNDATION
|
Thank you to Ann Torcivia and The Joey Foundation for making a difference with Loukoumi for a kindergarden student and his family at a Long Island School. The Joey Foundation rallied the troops and collected over $500 in gift cards, plus two carloads of food and clothing. Says Ann,
"We had little kids say they gave their allowances to give to this kid. And some moms said thank you for teaching their kids to give back."
In addition, The Joey Foundation sold Dove Chocolate to raise funds for the shipping costs for the Loukoumi baseball project at the two schools in Jamaica.
|
|
|
|
|
SCHOOLS MAKE CARING CARDS FOR ST. JUDE
|
 |
Many schools participated in our Loukoumi program where students made caring cards for patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and also donated $1 each. Special thanks to Giovanna Tsapatsaris for leading this project on Make A Difference Day and to Mrs. Ross and Mrs. O'Neill's classes at the Anne Hutchinson School for their continued support. Pictured here Vasilios Pavlides presents their cards and donation to St. Jude's Tim Bayly.
|
 |
|
|
|
JUST KEEP LIVIN' FOUNDATION
|
|
The Just Keep Livin' Foundation, who were the recipients of a 2016 Loukoumi Make A Difference Award made a difference this year by providing water to the partcipants of the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Los Angeles. Great job and thank you for making a difference!
|
|
|
|
EIMAI CENTER FOR EMERGING YOUNG LEADERS
|
|
Special thanks to Ellen Froustis and EIMAI, The Center for Emerging Young Leaders who organized events throughout Greece. Schools throughout the country held readings of
Loukoumi's Good Deeds.
They also did their own good deeds including their planting the seeds of good deeds project where they planted seeds that would grow into flowers that they then used to beautify their communities. Students also raised money to purchase wheelchairs for local hospitals.
|
|
|
|
LOUKOUMI GOOD DEED ALL-STARS!
|
Four years ago Grace LaFountain made a difference with Loukoumi by starting her annual bake sale at the Utica Zoo Spooktacular. This year the aspiring chef and Chopped Jr. star did it again by selling hundreds of her mini-cupcakes. Grace also encourages local bakeries to donate to her cause and sold over 600 items! To date she has raised over $2800 for The Utica Zoo, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Chefs for Humanity. Grace was the winner of our 2012 Loukoumi's Secret Ingredient Recipe Contest.
|
|
The Eastchester Goodie Girls sold baked goods for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Great job Amanda Dunleavy and her team!
|
Ava Tsapatsaris (right) and her Relay for Life team sold bracelets for the American Cancer Society. Over $13,000 raised to date!
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Girl Scout Kelly
brought together Got Comfort! and PNW BOCES bringing Comfort dogs to people in need.
|
Vincent and Siena Versaci sold delicious homemade spiced blueberry jam to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Hospital & The Wolf Conservation Center of South Salem
|
Siena Versaci also helped with our charity raffle! First prize to the charity of your choice which winner Adele Lotto donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Katia Barker (right) sold water bottles for the Thirst Project, a non-profit focused on drilling fresh water wells in Africa
|
Melina Colonias sold pretzels and water at The Deerfield school for the Union Township Dog and Cat Shelter. Over $200 in just 20 minutes!
|
Sophia Lotto donated proceeds from her garage sale and other projects to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Presenting a $425 check to Tim Bayly
|
|
 |
|
Constantine (left) and Julia Katsoris and their team including Taylor and Jacob Naclerio, Aidan and Caitlyn Savitt, Yianni and Vasili Pavlides, Madeleine O'Connor, Alexa, Calista Kilb and others made and sold rainbow loom bracelets for The Loukoumi baseball project and local animal shelters.
|
|
 |
|
Over 50,000 Good Deeds with Loukoumi
Thank you for making a difference with Loukoumi
|
|
Special Thanks to George's Angels, Mr. & Mrs. Paul Lountzis and:
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Good deeds are powerful, and when you have 50,000 of them look what a difference we can all make together! On behalf of the Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation, thank you for making our 2016 Make A Difference With Loukoumi project our most successful yet." - Nick Katsoris
|
|
|
|
|
THE LOUKOUMI MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOUNDATION
|
The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation is a 501c3 non profit organization formed with the consent of the New York State Department of Education to teach children to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. For more on the Foundation visit:
www.LoukoumiFoundation.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
