National Hellenic Society s 2024 Heritage Weekend Classic Highlights

We all know that the reason we're here is for these kids. I talked about them yesterday. We have nearly a thousand Heritage Greece alumni, a thousand alumni total, that not only do the students that go on Heritage Greece or go on Heritage America and do the NHS programs benefit from meeting great people and learning and experiencing great content, but they also benefit because when they get home they take with them a piece of Hellenism that was awoken inside. It was a light that got, it was a light that you know was ignited. We want to introduce someone very special that wants to say a few words before we get on with the honorees and that's uh Mr. George Anderson. A lot of people are asking why in the heck is a Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee? This amazing Parthenon was built in 1897 and it's actually started in 1896, a centennial celebration of the state of Tennessee. Good evening everyone. I'm deeply honored and humbled to stand before you tonight as one of the honorees of the National Hellenic Society. This is an original painting of you from artist Rip Kastaris and it will live in the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago forever. Please help me in welcoming the most beautiful, gorgeous koukla inside and out, our very own Greek goddess Melina Karakaridis. I'm saying thank you, thank you so much and I love you so much. Rip Kastaris has done a portrait for you Melina. So let me see. These are now part of the permanent collection of the Greek American story forever. All right now someone who has stayed true to who he is for an entire career and is the soundtrack of basically every person's life in here. There's not one song that you can hear on the radio that this man did not have something to do with. The incomparable Mr. Desmond Child. Wow, I'm impressed with myself. This is just an incredible thing that you've done and and I'm so honored to be a part of it. Oh my god. It's an original sculpture of the lyric views of poetry. Oh thank you so much. Thank you. This was his idea. George Marcus, to create this network. George, I hope we're fulfilling your vision and dream.