Volume 20, Issue 7 | Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Last Chance to Sign Up for Capitol Hill Day 2026!

The AHEPA Family returns to Capitol Hill this year on May 14, 2026! Don't miss the chance to join the AHEPA Family at this annual event that affords you the opportunity to meet with your elected representatives about what matters to you and AHEPA.

The final deadline for sign up is April 8th. No applications will be accepted after that date.

AHEPA Celebrates Greek Independence Day

2026 White House Celebration

On March 26, Supreme President E. Chris Kaitson, Canadian AHEPA President Anastasios Moussas, DOP Grand President Antoinette Marousis-Zachariades, MOA Grand President Stephanie Owens, and SOP Supreme President Basilios Ronstadt had the opportunity to join hundreds of Greek Americans as the White House celebrated Greek Independence Day. The White House Greek Independence Day Celebration has been taking place for over forty years, commemorating the historic anniversary of Greece's Independence from the Ottomans in 1821. AHEPA is honored to have once again been invited to participate in this annual event that once again featured a short address from the President of the United States.

Inaugural Capitol Hill Greek Independence Celebration

On March 25th, AHEPA leadership attended the inaugural Greek Independence Day Celebration at the U.S. Capitol. This invitation-only event featured remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Antonis Alexandridis, Cypriot Ambassador to the U.S. Evangelos Savva, U.S. Representatives and Hellenic Caucus members Mike Haridoplos (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), and many more prominent Greek Americans. The event was held in historic Capitol room H-117 and facilitated by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

Representing AHEPA were Supreme President E. Chris Kaitson, DOP Grand President Antoinette Marousis-Zachariades, AHEPA Foundation Chair Nicholas A. Karacostas, PSP, and Sons of Pericles PSP Alec Economakis, as well as many brothers and sisters from the Washington, DC area. AHEPA is grateful to have been included in this wonderful event!

Flag Raising & Parades & Proclamations!

San Jose, California

On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 5:00 pm, the City of San Jose held a Greek Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall Plaza to commemorate the 205th anniversary of Greece’s independence. The event, hosted by San Jose Vice Mayor and District 9 Councilmember Pam Foley, brought together the Greek-American community and local leaders to honor this historic occasion.

Organized by the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) and the Daughters of Penelope (DOP), the event featured distinguished guests including His Eminence Metropolitan Tarasios of Rhodopolis, Hierarchical Proistamenos of St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church, and Alicia and Chris Frangos, Past District 21 Governors for the DOP and AHEPA, respectively.

To commemorate the occasion, Vice Mayor Pam Foley presented a proclamation from Mayor Matt Mahan and the San Jose City Council recognizing March 25 as Greek Independence Day.

Read Full Release

New Haven & Orange, Connecticut

The Brothers of New Haven Chapter 98 in New Haven, Connecticut were able to help facilitate two raisings of the Greek Flag in honor of Greek Independence Day! A flag was raised on New Haven Green in New Haven, CT, as well as at the Orange Fairgrounds in Orange, CT.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania & Washington, DC

The Brothers of Aristoteles Chapter 34 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Mayor of Pittsburgh, Cory O'Connor after he signed a proclamation that declared March 25th, 2026, Greek Independence Day.

Also on March 25th, Brother Alec Economakis, SOP PSP, on behalf of District 3 Governor Manos Sakiotis, secured a proclamation from the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, acknowledging the significance of the day.

Tarpon Springs, Florida

Members of the Ahepa Family gathered in Tarpon Springs for the 2026 Greek Independence Day parade on March 29, 2026. Members of the Greek and Cypriot governments descended on “little Greece” in Florida for the Greek Independence Day parade.

Representing National AHEPA were SOP Supreme President Basilios Ronstadt, DOP Grand Treasurer Effie Kirkiles, AHEPA District 2 Governor Bill Paul, and AHEPA Executive Director Basil Mossaidis.

The parade, attended by almost 10,000 people, runs from St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral to the infamous Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, and is one of the most well attended local events each year.

PSP Savas C. Tsivicos & Stavros K. Veletsis Honored by American Hellenic Institute

The American Hellenic Institute marked its 52nd anniversary with a gala in Washington, D.C., bringing together prominent Greek American leaders and advocates to highlight ongoing priorities such as Cyprus reunification, religious freedom, and strengthening U.S.–Greece–Cyprus relations. The event underscored AHI’s decades-long role as a leading voice in Washington on Hellenic issues, with speakers emphasizing that many of these challenges remain unresolved despite continued advocacy.

Among those honored were Past Supreme President Savas C. Tsivicos and AHEPA Ch. 438 Brother Stavros K. Veletsis, who were recognized for their longstanding leadership and dedication to Hellenic and Cypriot causes, as well as the work they have done as leaders in their respective communities. Axioi, Brothers!

Read Event Recap by CosmosPhilly.com

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Attention all Aspiring Lawyers!

AHEPA’s National Parthenon Committee Invites all Sons of Pericles and all Maids of Athena to participate in the (Mock) Trial of a Lifetime at the AHEPA 104th Annual Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 26 – 31, 2026.

THE PARTIES:

The Hellenic Republic of Greece v. The British Museum and the United Kingdom

THE CASE:

Who Owns the Parthenon Sculptures?

AHEPA will provide the Courtroom, the witnesses, and the judge - YOU try the case!

Email completed applications to AHEPA’s National Parthenon Committee Chairman

Michael J. Reppas II, Esq., LL.M.

Download the Application

Team Registration for SOP Greeks in Atlanta Basketball Tournament is Live!

Join the Sons of Pericles for a basketball tournament in Atlanta, Georgia April 17-19, 2026.

Registration for teams is open until April 7, 2026.

Team fee is $400 for teams of 5-10 players. Anybody interested in playing who does not have a team can contact the SOP Supreme Lodge at sopsupremelodge@gmail.com

Celebrate America's 250th Birthday with AHEPA!

Join the AHEPA Family at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown from July 26 - July 31 in the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, PA! We have an amazing week planned for you and hope you'll be able to join us! Please visit the links below for all you need to get involved! Registration forms will be available shortly.

Book Your Room

View Tentative Schedule

Download Sponsorship Package

The Winter AHEPAN is Here!

The Winter 2025 issue of The AHEPAN has arrived! Get a sneak peek of it at the link below!

Read the Winter AHEPAN

Attention Chapters & Districts with Publications!

The AHEPA Publications committee is now accepting submissions for the annual publications competition, in which District or Chapter publications (newsletters etc.) are eligible to win awards at the 2026 AHEPA Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, PA.

If your Chapter or District wishes to have a publication considered, please contact committee chair John Melonopoulos via email to john.melonopoulos@comcast.net in order to request a questionnaire.

The deadline for competition submissions is April 30, 2026. Applicants must submit two copies of their publication with a properly completed questionnaire.

Publicize Your Chapter & District Events!

Is your Chapter or District hosting an event you want publicized on a National Level? Starting this week, you can submit your event to have it posted on the AHEPA Website!

Fill out the form linked below with your event information to have it publicized. Remember that this information will be public on our website, so keep that in mind before you submit personal phone numbers or home addresses. We recommend listing an email address as a point of contact rather than a telephone number.

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

April

8 | Deadline for Capitol Hill Day Sign Up

15 | AHEPA Athletics Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Nomination Deadline

17-19 | Sons of Pericles Greeks in Atlanta Basketball Tournament

30 | AHEPA Publications Committee Submission Deadline

May

13 | AHEPA 47th Biennial Congressional Banquet

14 | AHEPA Capitol Hill Day

July

26 - 31 | AHEPA Supreme Convention, Philadelphia, PA

Submit Your Events!

Greek American News Digest

Editor's Note: Editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and articles are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members

Inbound travel to Greece resilient despite higher airfares

Ekathimerini (March 30)

International inbound air traffic to Greece remains resilient despite rising fares tied to Middle East tensions, with scheduled arrivals exceeding 30 million passengers, up 8% year-on-year. Major US airlines have begun seasonal direct services to Athens, boosting transatlantic capacity. United Airlines launched its daily Newark-Athens route on March 6. Delta Air Lines followed with daily New York (JFK)-Athens flights on March 9 and a daily Atlanta-Athens service on March 10, while also adding, on Sunday, a Boston-Athens route operating several times weekly. American Airlines introduced, on Monday, its Philadelphia-Athens service with daily peak-season frequencies. read more

Egypt and Cyprus sign framework agreement for cooperation on gas

Reuters (March 30)

Egypt and Cyprus signed a framework agreement for cooperation on gas at the Egypt 2026 Energy Show on Monday. A ‌spokesperson for the Cypriot presidency said that the non-binding agreement will be a base upon which the two countries can negotiate more agreements for the exploitation of Cyprus' reserves. Another Cypriot government official added that the agreement ⁠will allow the two countries to negotiate the sale of natural gas to Egypt or Egypt's state-owned companies from Cyprus's Kronos and Aphrodite offshore fields. read more

War leaves Cyprus deserted for Easter holidays: Hotel bookings down 40% after Iranian drone attacks on RAF base

Daily Mail (March 31)

Spooked British tourists have started cancelling their holidays to Cyprus with hotel bookings down 40 percent on the island as war rages in the Middle East. Photographs show deserted beaches and streets in hotspots such as Limassol and Protaras which are usually bustling with tourists during the Easter holidays. The US and Israel launched ‌attacks on Iran on February 28, just as Cyprus's tourism industry was reopening after winter. read more

Iconic Greek singer Marinella dies aged 87

EuroNews (March 28)

Famous Greek singer Marinella has passed away at the age of 87, her family announced in a statement. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the loss of Marinella, our beloved mother and grandmother, who passed away at her home today, 28 March 2026 at 6 pm," the statement read. She had suffered a stroke while performing at Athens' ancient Odeon theatre in September 2024, that left her hospitalised for four months and from which she never recovered. read more

Millions of bad loans hobble Greece's economic recovery, IMF official says

Reuters (March 31)

Millions of unprocessed bad loans from last decade's ‌debt crisis are slowing Greece's economic growth and stymying the rebound for families and businesses still locked out of lending markets, an International Monetary Fund official told Reuters. The IMF estimates that nearly 3 million non-performing loans are impacting 2.4 million people, said Charles Cohen, an IMF advisor specialising in financial markets. The sheer number has overwhelmed the Greek lending system, and without servicing the old loans many ordinary Greeks will be unable to borrow further. read more

Twenty-two migrants die off Greek coast after six days at sea

BBC (March 28)

Twenty-two migrants have died off the Greek coast after spending six days in a dinghy bound for Europe, the Greek coastguard has said. Twenty-six survivors, including a woman and a child, were rescued by a European border agency vessel on Friday. Two of them were taken to hospital in Heraklion on the island of Crete. The migrant boat had left the port of Tobruk in eastern Libya on 21 March, news agency AFP reported, citing a coastguard spokesperson. Poor weather and a lack of food and water contributed to the deaths, the coastguard said. read more