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Adelaide yiayia raises nearly $20,000 for HeartKids charity by baking Greek shortbread

Andriana Simos
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Adelaide yiayia raises nearly $20,000 for HeartKids charity by baking Greek shortbread

Like any typical Greek yiayia, Katerina Iliopoulos would do anything for her four children and 11 grandchildren who she ‘loves to spend time with.’

That’s why when Katerina’s granddaughter, Zoe, was born with a heart condition and the family received support from the HeartKids charity, she decided to give back and raise money for other families affected by congenital heart disease.

HeartKids aims to give every child diagnosed with congenital heart disease a fighting chance of leading a long and fulfilling life. The charity funds research, advocates for people with the disease and offers guidance, information and support throughout their journey.

“I was shocked to discover how many families faced the same situation and to learn what they had to go through and I wanted to help,” Katerina tells The Greek Herald exclusively.

This decision has seen Katerina raise nearly $20,000 for HeartKids over three years by baking and selling mountains of Greek shortbread.

“I love to bake and have been doing so all my life,” the 65-year-old says.

“I have been making Greek shortbread in the shape of a heart for many years using my mother’s secret recipe and thought that by baking and selling them I could raise some money to help. I started selling to family and friends and through word of mouth I now make thousands a year.”

Katerina was helped throughout her fundraising journey by her family and the friends she has made over the years when working with Adelaide’s Greek community and volunteering at the local church as much as possible by baking cakes and biscuits.

Katerina Iliopoulos is a finalist in the Westfield Local Heroes this year.

“I get a great deal of support from my family and friends who assist in taking orders, delivering the biscuits and promoting fundraising. I also get donations of ingredients from Drakes supermarkets who also promote the HeartKids foundation,” she stresses.

This huge effort has seen Katerina also nominated for a Westfield Local Heroes Award this year which she says is a ‘great honour’ as she is ‘delighted’ to do her part alongside many other supporters and volunteers.

“It would be wonderful to win this award as it would raise another $10 000 for children and their families in need of support,” she concludes.

You can vote for Katerina before Monday, August 30, 2021 here.

Football NSW joins with NSW Health for weekend vaccination blitz

John Voutos
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Football NSW joins with NSW Health for weekend vaccination blitz

Football NSW is joining forces with NSW Health for a vaccination blitz this Sunday. 

Stuart Hodge is the CEO of Football NSW and encourages football enthusiasts to “do their bit” and get vaccinated this weekend. 

“Make an appointment and then attend wearing your club colours or favourite football jersey,” Hodge says in a press release. 

“We as a sport want to make a difference to help get back to playing and by supporting this initiative and by pushing up vaccination rates it will get us a step closer to enjoying our beautiful game once more.”

‘Sport Super Sundays’ are being held at vaccination centres for Sydney’s twelve local government areas of concern this weekend. 

NSW Health encourages those aged 16 to 39 who live in the Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield or Penrith areas to make a booking. 

“Wear team uniforms, colours, or gear and take a selfie to post on your local club sites with the hashtag #vaccinationchampion,” NSW Health says. 

“Every person who gets vaccinated is making a difference and will help get us all back to sport sooner.” 

NSW Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce calls on all sports enthusiasts to help break a new vaccination record this Super Sunday. 

“Sporting codes will go head-to-head to compete for the NSW Vaccination Championship Cup and know that they are doing the best thing for their health, and the health of their community,” Ms Pearce said.

“Previous Super Sundays helped vaccinate more than 10,000 supermarket and food industry workers, construction workers and university students in one day, but now it’s time for you to step up for your favourite team or sport.” 

Vaccination centres at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, and Macquarie Fields, are available for bookings.

You can book your vaccination appointment by calling 1800 571 155.

On this day: The history behind Crete’s August 25 Street

The Greek Herald
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The long-standing 25th of August street is one of the most historically significant streets in the Cretan city of Heraklion. 

The site is indicative of Crete’s rich Greek and Turkish history – all the way from the late 19th century to today. 

Today, the street is lined with neoclassical buildings and connects the Venetian harbour to the Square of Lions. 

Just before the 19th century led into the 20th is when 25th of August Street got it’s future name as collateral in the Greco-Turkish war of 1897. 

The Greeks waged war against Ottoman rule on the island several decades after the Greek War of Independence. 

Turkish fanatics massacred approximately 500 Christians and 17 British soldiers and damaged buildings and monuments along the road following the surrender of the Customs office to the Christians.

The violence was the catalyst for negotiations for the Union of Crete with the rest of Greece and the removal of Turkish forces from the island. 

Following Cretan liberation, 25 August Street became the most popular and prominent road of Heraklion. 

It hosted official government buildings, the Basilica of St. Mark, the church of St. Titus, and the Loggia. 

Today, August 25 Street is paved and welcomes locals and tourists from around the world. 

It’s a booming tourist hotspot which boasts several travel, retail, and hospitality venues along Crete’s north coast. 

Source: Destination Crete

Drug dealer Peter Kezkiropoulos to spend more time behind bars over prison distribution network plan

The Greek Herald
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Drug dealer Peter Kezkiropoulos to spend more time behind bars over prison distribution network plan

Drug dealer Peter Kezikoropoulos will serve time for his role in a cross-border syndicate that tried to supply Perth with $21 million worth of methamphetamine.  

Kezikoropoulos and his business partner Anastasis Siskopoulos, former owners of Baklava Café in North Perth, schemed to firstly bring in $4.6 million worth of meth into WA via a member of a Chinese drug syndicate in prison.

Kezikoropoulos’ sentencing hearing this week heard that his 13-year prison sentence at Casuarina Prison has not deterred him from reoffending. 

District Court Judge Charlotte Wallace slammed Kezikoropoulos for his “entrenched pro-criminal attitude and ongoing disregard for the law”. 

Wallace says she accepted Mr. Kezikoropoulos and Mr. Siskopoulos were “partners on a relatively equal footing”.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) first became suspicious of their dealings in late 2017 and police began secretly recording 21 conversations between the pair between December 2017 and June 2018. 

In these conversations, they organized to make contact with a supplier of meth, discussed potential customers, transporting the drugs, and how they would charge for a kilo of meth, according to The West. 

The ACIC sting found the pair were discussing, in Greek, how to set up their distribution network plan.

Organized crime squad officers finally arrested Siskopoulos on July 5 with Kezikoropoulos questioned on July 18.  

Kezikoropoulos is serving 13 years on appeal after he was caught with 11kg of meth in the boot of his wife’s BMW. His original sentence was 17 years. 

Source: The West

Paralympic Games opening ceremony kicks off in Tokyo

John Voutos
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Paralympic Games opening ceremony kicks off in Tokyo

The delayed 16th Summer Paralympics kicked off its opening ceremony in the National Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday. 

President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Andrew Parsons told athletes they were the “best of humanity”. 

“I cannot believe we are finally here. Many doubted this day would happen,” said Parsons in his Opening Ceremony speech.

“Many thought it impossible. But thanks to the efforts of many, the most transformative sport event on Earth is about to begin.” 

”We want to change the entire world.”

The opening ceremony was based around the theme of ‘We Have Wings’ to raise awareness of the courage of Paralympians who are trying to spread their wings “no matter which way the wind blows”. 

The countries were led out by six athletes of the Paralympic Refugee Team. 

Volunteers and athletes carried cherry blossom-inspired torches to ignite the first-ever hydrogen-fuelled cauldron at the Games. 

The flame was left roaring as the ceremony was brought to a close.

Meanwhile, protestors outside the stadium jostled with police as the ceremony took place. 

Tokyo will remain in a state of emergency until September 12 as the city records surging cases of COVID-19. 

Over the next 13 days, there will be 1,617 medals awarded across 539 events in 22 sports. 

Around 1,500 from 162 nations are taking part, with the IPC estimating that 4.25 billion people will tune in during the Games. 

At least 39 Greek athletes are competing across eight different sports in the Games – with Greeks over-representing in the swimming pool. 

Source: CNN, Greek Herald

Turkish Cypriot official says Cyprus government is violating passport rights

The Greek Herald
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Turkish Cypriot official says Cyprus government is violating passport rights

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has criticised a decision by Cyprus’s government to rescind his expired passport on Tuesday. 

Cyprus’ government announced on Monday that it would cancel or refuse to renew passports held by some Turkish Cypriot officials involved in a breakaway administration in northern Cyprus. 

“The decision by the Greek Cypriot side to revoke some of the passports of the Turkish Cypriots is another proof that the ‘Republic of Cyprus’ has been transformed into an entirely Greek Cypriot state and that respect is not being shown to the legitimate rights of the Turkish Cypriot side in any way,” Tatar told Reuters in a statement.

The move targets 14 figures of the de facto enclave, including Tatar and its prime minister Ersan Saner. 

Cyprus says the move is in retaliation against Turkey’s advancements in Verosha in July. 

Turkish Cypriots in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus held or hold Republic of Cyprus passports. 

Turkish Cypriots on the island have a right to a Cypriot passport. 

Cyprus has been run by Greek Cypriots since the Turkish invasion and coup in 1974 and their relations with Turkish Cypriots are now at their lowest point in years. 


Source: Ekathimerini, Reuters

Greece to temporarily ban unvaccinated people from indoor bars and restaurants

John Voutos
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Greece to temporarily ban unvaccinated people from indoor bars and restaurants

As of next month, all indoor eateries, bars, clubs, and entertainment venues will be off-limits for Greek citizens who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced the new restrictions as the obligation of a “responsible state” on Tuesday. 

“These measures aren’t punitive,” Kikilias says. 

“They are our duty to all those who went through 18 months of the pandemic carefully, those who lost their shops, jobs and had to work from home to protect themselves.”

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias announcing the new regulations on Tuesday (Photo: INTIME NEWS/ © Intime p.a.)

The new rules are projected to be in place for 199 days between 13 September and 31 March. 

Greek citizens will have to provide proof of inoculation or recovery from the coronavirus, in the form of a COVID-19 certificate, to access these venues, including indoor and open-air sports stadiums.

Other venues including theatres, cinemas, museums, and archaeological sites, will allow access to those who are unvaccinated but only if they provide proof of a negative rapid test conducted within 48 hours. 

Rapid tests, which are currently free of charge, will cost €10 for all those who have not been vaccinated – except for school pupils – under the new regulations. 

The regulations favor those who are vaccinated, who will continue to enjoy free COVID-19 tests, as well as people who have recovered from coronavirus, who will be granted access to establishments that range from tavernas to upmarket restaurants, late-night clubs, and bars. 

Both public and private sector workers who are not vaccinated will be subject to weekly tests. 

Workers in academia, tourism, hospitality, and other forms of entertainment, as well as school and university students, will have to test twice a week. 

Just over half of Greece’s population are fully inoculated but vaccinate hesitancy has seen fatalities, hospitalisations, and intubations rise in recent weeks. 

On Tuesday, health authorities announced 4,608 new cases – the highest daily case number since the pandemic began – and 32 deaths. 

Source: The Guardian 

‘She can’t comprehend Covid’: Yiayia Dimitra turns 98 amid Melbourne’s sixth lockdown

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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‘She can’t comprehend Covid’: Yiayia Dimitra turns 98 amid Melbourne’s sixth lockdown

What would be a big family celebration for great-grandmother Dimitra, who turned 98 on August 15th, became a mental health check-up, a serenade through the closed car window and a bunch of flowers from her great-grandchildren outside the gate of her West Footscray home in Melbourne.

“It’s heartbreaking to try and explain to someone of her age what is going on and the reasons we are in lockdown again and all the restrictions,” Andrea Floros, Dimitra’s grand-daughter, small business owner and mother of four, told The Greek Herald. 

“On the day of yiayia’s birthday I called to apologise for not being able to be there and celebrate with her, for the second year in a row. I said I can only check on her to see if she’s ok and she replied ‘How is that ok?’” said Andrea.

“I asked how has she made it this far and she replied ‘You just keep going.’”

Dimitra migrated to Australia from Kalamata in the 1950s, aboard the Patris with her husband and three kids.  

“She has been through a lot. She lived through World War II and during the civil war in Greece and in the last ten years she’s lost her husband and two of her kids. She is a strong and very independent woman but it’s so unfair to not be able to enjoy quality time with her family at this stage of her life,” Andrea said.

Yiayia Dimitra with her late husband

“She watches TV but doesn’t speak English and although we try to explain to her what the situation is, she is unable to comprehend and starts crying.”

Yiayia Dimitra in happier times with her great-grandchildren

Despite growing evidence that older people are handling lockdown better, mentally and emotionally, than their younger counterparts due to their life experience, Andrea says that the mental health burden the pandemic has placed on the community’s most vulnerable -the elderly and children- is not to be overlooked. 

“For whatever happens in our family, if someone for example is sick, we don’t tell yiayia because we feel like we want to protect her. She can’t meet with the family nor can she attend church like she used to and her world has changed,” Andrea said.

“There is fear, a lot of doubt and uncertainty. People in Melbourne are upset, they are judging each other, businesses are suffering and this is a really stressful situation that also has an impact on our kids. This pandemic is dividing people and I don’t think it should be this way,” Andrea said as she’s holding on to her yiayia’s advice to keep going. 

Greeks named among the top 100 innovators in Australia

The Greek Herald
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Greeks named among the top 100 innovators in Australia

Australian innovation is at an inflection point. The next generation of founders and companies are coming through, and they’re bringing our economy and Australia’s future along with them.

The Australian, alongside a world-class panel of experts, has named its top 100 innovators today and among the list are two Greek Australians.

Here’s a rundown of who they are and what they’re being recognised for:

Daniel Danilatos:

Neara CEO and co-founder, Daniel Danilatos (front), with chief product officer, Karamvir Singh, and chief commercial officer, Jack Curtis. Photo: Louie Douvis.

Ex-Google software engineer, Daniel Danilatos, has been named in The Australian‘s list in the ‘Building and Infrastructure’ category for his business Neara.

Neara is a utilities infrastructure startup founded in 2016 (then called Power Lines Pro). It has found a way to create a 3D twin of infrastructure networks that is so accurate it can be used for engineering-grade analysis, as well as aid in real-time decision-making and maintenance of services during natural disasters such as storms, bushfires and floods.

Following $7.25 million in Series A funding earlier this year – which includes investment from Square Peg Capital, Scott Farquhar and Kim Jackson’s Skip Capital, and Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures – and with most of Australia’s electricity distributors and transmitters already signed up, this little-known Aussie startup is looking to become a leader in the utility space.

George Peppou:

Co-founders of Vow, Tim Noakesmith (left) and George Peppou.

George Peppou and Tim Noakesmith have made an impact in the ‘Food’ category for their business, Vow.

A real contender in the animal-free food space, Vow, a Blackbird-backed startup that creates real meat from cells, is turning a lot of what we think we knew about meat on its head.

The startup has attracted multiple investments since 2019 (after being awarded a $25,000 grant from the NSW government for creating the first ever cell-cultured kangaroo meat grown from stem cells), including $7.7 million in seed funding from Blackbird, Grok Ventures and Tenacious Ventures.

Vow has also grown its meat cell library to 11 animals, with one of Australia’s best known chefs, Neil Perry, trying out six of them in 2020. While a commercial product is still some time away (no labgrown meat has made its way to a table as regulations are still being developed) judging by Perry’s enthusiasm it sounds like it could taste as good as the real thing.

Source: The Australian.

Prof. John Christodoulou joins world-first Australian committee focused on childhood dementia

Andriana Simos
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Prof. John Christodoulou joins world-first Australian committee focused on childhood dementia

Childhood Dementia Initiative (CDI) has selected eight highly respected leaders, researchers, academics and clinicians to front its world-first Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee (SMAC).

This Australian committee will help guide the strategy to urgently disrupt the impact of childhood dementia on children and families.

“This is a world first. A committee of this calibre has never before come together to focus on childhood dementia. It will be key to positively changing the landscape for childhood dementia in the lab and the clinic,” Megan Donnell, CEO of Childhood Dementia Initiative, says.

READ MORE: ‘She’s fading away’: Niki Markou fights to save teen daughter after childhood dementia diagnosis.

Professor John Christodoulou.

The following accepted positions on the Initiative’s SMAC are:

  • Professor John Christodoulou AM MB BS PhD FRACP FFSc(RCPA) FRCPA FHGSA FAHMS
  • Tiffany Boughtwood BSc MBA
  • Professor Marcel Dinger PhD GAICD
  • Associate Professor Michelle Farrar MBBS FRACP PhD
  • Associate Professor Kim Hemsley PhD
  • Associate Professor Leszek Lisowski PhD MBA
  • Professor Peter R Schofield AO FAHMS PhD DSc
  • Dr Nicholas J.C. Smith MBBS(Hon) DCH FRACP PhD(Cantab)

The initial focus of the SMAC will be the formation of a National Collaborative Research and Clinical Care Network.

This network will break down the silos in childhood dementia research, bringing together experts from diverse areas to collaborate and accelerate the development of new therapies and improve clinical care. 

What is childhood dementia?

Childhood dementia is progressive brain damage that starts before the age of 18. There are over 70 types of the disease, each caused by changes in the DNA because they are genetic diseases.

In August, Head of Research at CDI, Dr Kristina Elvidge, told The Greek Herald that 1 in 2800 babies born will develop dementia in childhood.

That’s 129 babies born each year in Australia, one every three days. It is estimated that almost 2,300 Australians are currently living with childhood dementia, which adds up to 700,000 people worldwide.

The signs and symptoms themselves are similar to those you might have seen in an elderly relative suffering from dementia. They include for example, lack of concentration, memory loss, personality and behavioural changes, and even loss of speech and mobility.

READ MORE: Professor Christodoulou on why healthy Australians can suffer severe coronavirus symptoms.

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