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Victorian Multicultural Gala Dinner brings people together

The Greek Herald
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Victorian Multicultural Gala Dinner brings people together

By Bill Papastergiadis OAM, Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission

Melbourne, Victoria is one of the great multicultural capitals of the world. Nowhere is this more evident than at our many cross-cultural events that unite us all in one place. The Victorian Multicultural Gala Dinner is one of the key events that brings us together and, importantly, showcases “the best in us.”

For the first time, the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) took the initiative to host the gala event outside of Melbourne. Geelong was chosen as the venue for this year’s function. The distance did not impede the journey made by more than 500 people from 100 different nationalities and ethnic communities.

Functions like this are not merely symbolic; important announcements were made by the Government that will significantly impact our State. Equally, it allowed us to connect with old acquaintances and forge new friendships.

On the issue of announcements, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan advised that over the next three years, the state government would name more than 6,000 roads, parks, and lanes after identities from our diverse multicultural community. Such symbolic acts help our citizens feel more included and respected. They also present a more accurate reflection of the achievements and contributions made by people of diverse backgrounds in our society. This event allowed me to make new friends and reconnect with old ones.

Our own Greek community had numerous attendees with whom I spent time, including Fotini Kypraios, Ange Kenos, and Mike Zafiropoulos. I was also seated beside Minister Enver Erdogan and Ahmed Hassan, both of whom I met for the first time. And what a pleasure it was. Minister Erdogan began his conversation with me in fluent Greek. I was taken aback. He noted, “Bill, I know the Greek community owns Alphington Grammar, and I know of your involvement as a former School Chair. Well, my brother and I are past students. We loved that school.”

victorian multicultural commission (1)

I was temporarily, and some might say uncharacteristically, speechless. Minister Erdogan then explained that he is of Kurdish origin and that, in his former life as a lawyer, he was often opposed to my law firm, Moray & Agnew. Our worlds just became smaller and smaller. Minister Erdogan was warm, friendly, and engaging, and we agreed to arrange for him to visit his old school (Alphington Grammar) and give a talk to the students on his unique journey. It is hard to find a more likeable person.

On my right sat the wonderful and charismatic Ahmed Hassan. He is the former winner of the Victorian Youth of the Year Awards. Our bond became intertwined through football, as he told me he was a former junior player with Preston FC. I informed him of how we at South Melbourne Hellas were working closely with Preston FC on the National Second Tier Competition. I recounted my recent conversations with David Cvetkovski (Preston FC’s President). Hassan was energetic and humble. He is another positive reminder of the role our youth will play in the future development of Victoria.

victorian multicultural commission

These are just a few of the people I saw on the night, all of whom selflessly devote their time to various community activities that enhance the quality of our living environment.

Finally, I want to reflect on what these nights do and their importance for the future of multiculturalism. They are, in the first instance, a reminder of the need for cross-cultural dialogue and the challenge of securing social cohesion. Both are vital for the good functioning of society. Social cohesion is not a chance outcome; rather, it’s the product of events and actions by so many people that underpin how we see ourselves and the decisions we make that shape how we want to live together.

This was the message of Minister Julian Hill. He remarked that social cohesion is not always easy. It often requires many difficult conversations. However, it is one of the most important goals to pursue and an invaluable task to persevere with. It was reassuring that such words were echoed on the night by Chairperson of the VMC, Vivienne Nguyen and, in a bipartisan way, by both Minister Ingrid Stitt and the Opposition Leader John Pesutto.

St Sophia and Three Daughters Parish raise much-needed funds for Sydney women’s shelter

The Greek Herald
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St Sophia and Three Daughters Parish raise much-needed funds for Sydney women’s shelter

The Ladies Philoptochos of the Parish of St Sophia and Three Daughters at Surry Hills, Sydney hosted an Afternoon Tea Fundraiser on Saturday, August 24 to raise much-needed funds for local women’s shelter, Lou’s Place.

Lou’s Place is a unique, community-based drop-in centre for women in crisis, feeling isolated or needing support. Most of the women who visit Lou’s Place have experienced multiple traumas in their lives and the majority are facing issues of homelessness, domestic violence, mental health or addiction.

The Parish’s fundraising event was a resounding success, bringing together the community in support of a significant cause.

On the day, guests enjoyed a selection of delicious foods prepared by the Ladies Philoptochos. Amongst the attendees was Archimandrite Father Christophoros Krikelis, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, as well as special guest and CEO of Lou’s Place, Amanda Greaney.

In a speech on behalf of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Father Christophoros spoke on the need to remember and love all of God’s creation. He also thanked the hosting Parish and their Philoptochos for their initiative in receiving Christ’s message of love for one another and acting upon it with such grace, humility and compassion.

The highlight of the event was Ms Greaney, who gave a heart wrenching talk on the day-to-day experience of working at Lou’s. She spoke about the significant impact of the shelter’s work, whilst expressing her immense gratitude for the Parish’s support.

Following the talks given, the raffle was drawn. The main prize of the event, a beautiful icon of Panagia, donated by Bespoke and Co., generated much excitement and enthusiasm.

The evening was a testament to the generosity and spirit of the parishioners of St Sophia and Three Daughters. The success of the fundraiser is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the Ladies Philoptochos, whose tireless efforts made the event possible.

In total, the Afternoon Tea raised $8,000 to support the work of Lou’s Place. These funds will go directly towards providing vital services such as crisis intervention, legal assistance, and therapeutic programs designed to help women heal and rebuild their lives.

In a post on Facebook, the Parish thanked everyone who contributed to the event’s success, especially the Ladies Philoptochos who “continue to inspire and uplift the Parish and the wider community.”

For more information on how you can support Lou’s Place, visit www.lousplace.com.au or follow them on social media.

A golden celebration in Sydney to support heart health

The Greek Herald
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A golden celebration in Sydney to support heart health

By Andrew Paschalidis – Heartbeat of Football Founder

On Saturday, August 24, 210 people were united as one to celebrate the Socceroos 50 year World Cup journey, but at the same time raise much needed funds for Heartbeat of Football to help us make a difference in the heart health space.

It made me so proud to see such a high level of support for our signature Fundraiser at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club, which has provided our Charity with Club grants funding since we launched in 2016.

heartbeat of football
heartbeat of football

Yes it was a celebration of our rich history at the elite level of the game, but it also gave us the opportunity to honour some of those players who have survived cardiac arrests on football fields in 2024 including popular Sans Souci FC player George Loupis who collapsed on the pitch on June 28. George is recovering from heart surgery so well. He might even make a comeback. Six footballers have been saved in seven incidents this year in Sydney.

Several of George’s family, work colleagues and teammates were present on the night, including his coach Peter Dimitriadis who was the first to respond to his life threatening situation by co-ordinating “Loupees” first steps in his chain of survival. There were many “angels” that night.

heartbeat of football
George Loupis with some of his family at the event.
heartbeat of football

Some of the high profile attendees included NSW Sport Minister Steve Kamper who has supported our mission from day one. In fact, Steve ensured our Charity received its first ever NSW Government Funding with a $200,000 pledge for the next three years. Thank you Steve, particularly when you made reference to Emmanuel Alfieris’ passing at a Belmore Eagles FC game this year and highlighted his amazing contribution to the Greek Australian community at large.

This funding has already allowed us to provide additional free heart health checks into other sports as well. We have held testing activations in places like Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Leeton, Griffith and Newcastle. Taree and Port Macquarie is next on our radar. By the way we will be testing at the upcoming Let’s Go Greek Festival at Parramatta on September 8 between 11 am and 6pm.

heartbeat of football
heartbeat of football

The night kicked off with a wonderful message from Heartbeat of Football Global Ambassador Tim Cahill, our greatest ever Socceroos scorer. Seven Network Sport Presenter Mel McLaughlin did an exceptional job as emcee, fresh from her sports team winning a Logie the previous weekend in Melbourne.

I went down memory lane with the first panel interview featuring 1974 Socceroo Ray Richards and Les Scheinflug who was the assistant coach to Rale Rasic. Ray spoke publicly for the first time about his own heart attack and how lucky he was to still be with us.

Mel was back on stage to interview another Socceroos legend Tony Vidmar who should have played in the 2006 World Cup in Germany but a previously undetected cardiovascular issue meant he had to miss Australia’s long awaited return to the world stage. How heart breaking it was for Vidmar knowing that he had previously been an integral part of three failed World Cup qualifying campaigns in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

heartbeat of football

It was then the turn of Heather Garriock – the Matildas legend, Heartbeat of Football Ambassador and Football Australia Board Member – to interview Socceroos coach Graham Arnold. It was an absorbing interview. Typically, during the auction of a signed and framed 2024 Socceroos shirt, “Arnie” also decided to throw in a donated training session. Marcus Pavlakis from the PNP Group outbid the room and did likewise when the opportunity arose later in the auction to have lunch with Mark Bosnich and five friends at the iconic Alpha Restaurant. Thank you Con Dedes (Owner of the Dedes Waterfront Group), who has added Alpha to his impressive portfolio of businesses.

heartbeat of football

The room was literally littered with football royalty in all levels of the game. Football Australia Chairman Anter Isaac hosted a table, as did Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas. Great to see Football Canterbury Chairman Nick Kambounias on the FNSW table. Boxing legend Johnny Lewis was a guest of Niki White – a fellow HOF Board Member – who just happens to manage another one of our Ambassadors Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr and Emily Van Egmond. Former Sydney Olympic defender Nick Plataniotis – another HOF Board Member – had a table, as did Steve Karavatakis and Bruce Spiteri from St George Saints FC.

Socceroos captains Tony Henderson, Craig Foster and Alex Tobin were also there along with Andrew Redmayne, Sasho Petrovski, Zlatko Nastevski, John McKain, Trent McClenahan, Jacob Timpano, Matt Bailey and many other footballers. Original Matildas Trixie Tagg and Cindy Heydon joined us as well.

There is an endless list of people to thank. In the first, my fellow Board Members and amazing team of volunteers deserve all the plaudits along with all those companies and individuals who donated all our auction and raffle items, including Bite Size Coffee Treats, Deploy Football, Football Australia, Anthony Ucchino, Souvlaki Brothers, Zoll Medical, CellAED, Paramount Pictures and Nikstar PR.

29th Greek Film Festival in Melbourne to feature ‘The Murderess’

The Greek Herald
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29th Greek Film Festival in Melbourne to feature ‘The Murderess’

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) has announced the screening of Eva Nathena’s highly anticipated film The Murderess, as part of the 29th Greek Film Festival.

Set in the early 1900s on the Greek island of Skiathos, the film follows Hadoula (Karyophyllia Karampeti), a woman who has learned to survive in a male-dominated and highly patriarchal society the hard way. However, Hadoula fights back, liberating the young girls from her village from the social and economic burden of being… by taking their lives.

Based on Alexandros Papadiamantis’ socio-historical novel of the same name, a landmark of Greek literature, the film has gone on to win six awards at the 2023 Thessaloniki Film Festival, as well as two awards from the Greek Film Academy.

Critics have described the film as “a tightly woven character thriller with Papadiamantis as its raw material,” “a film that is moving in Hadoula’s inner conflict between salvation and crime, that shows how misogyny and patriarchy are clearly passed down from generation to generation to the present day and that respects the greatness of Papadiamantis,” and “a masterful adaptation of Alexandros Papadiamantis’ masterpiece novel.”

Book your tickets for the film at https://www.palacecinemas.com.au/movies/gff24-murderess

The 29th Greek Film Festival will play across Palace Cinemas at their Astor Theatre, Palace Cinemas Balwyn, Palace Cinema Como and for the first time at Palace Pentridge in an expanded program.

The full program will be released shortly.

The Greek Herald publisher Dimitra Skalkos meets with Greece’s Deputy Tourism Minister

The Greek Herald
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The Greek Herald publisher Dimitra Skalkos meets with Greece’s Deputy Tourism Minister

By Ilias Karagiannis

A constructive meeting recently took place between Greece’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elena Rapti, and the publisher of The Greek Herald, Dimitra Skalkos, focusing on the upcoming reopening of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) office in Melbourne, Victoria.

The meeting, which took place at the Ministry of Tourism in Athens, Greece, centred on the operation of the new GNTO office in Melbourne. The reopening of this office is expected to bolster the Ministry’s efforts to promote Greece as a top destination in Australia, leveraging the dynamic Greek community in matters of tourism development and promotion of the Greek tourism product.

During the meeting, Ms Rapti informed Ms Skalkos about the Ministry’s recent initiatives to boost tourism from Australia, particularly focusing on special forms of tourism that are part of her portfolio. Specifically, they discussed ways to promote alternative tourism, aiming to attract more Australian tourists who wish to experience the authentic Greek experience beyond the popular tourist destinations.

Additionally, the significant work of Ms Rapti’s team at the Ministry of Tourism on upgrading the skills of workers in the hospitality sector in Greece was discussed. To achieve this, the best global practices and some of the most unique methods in tourism are being utilised.

For her part, Ms Skalkos expressed her support for the Ministry’s initiatives and committed to contributing to the promotion of Greece through The Greek Herald, as the publication has consistently done for decades.

The meeting concluded in a climate of mutual understanding and cooperation, with a shared goal of further developing Greek tourism in Australia.

Later in the day, Ms Skalkos also met with the Deputy Secretary General of the GNTO, Konstantinos Zikos, who took over after the resignation of Dimitris Fragakis. The discussion between Mr Zikos and Ms Skalkos revolved around the reopening of the GNTO office in Melbourne and details regarding the imminent start of its operations.

Greek Community of Melbourne schools to hold first-ever student Olympiad

The Greek Herald
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Greek Community of Melbourne schools to hold first-ever student Olympiad

Honouring the Olympic spirit and its values in a unique way, Schools of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) will celebrate the end of this school year by organising their own student Olympiad in a large joint celebration of all campuses on Saturday, 23 November, at Heidelberg United Football Club «Alexandros» Olympic Park.

2024 is an Olympic year, and GCM schools have chosen this occasion to organise, for the first time, a joint event with the participation of all their school units to highlight and honour the rich heritage of the Olympic Games and the universal values they represent.

On the morning of Saturday, 23 November, approximately 800 students, accompanied by their teachers, will gather at the Heidelberg United Football Club ‘Alexandros’ stadium to celebrate a special day of sport, unity, and Greek culture with their parents.

“This is an ambitious project that has excited us all, and we have been working intensively for months to prepare for it,” Maria Bakalidou, head of the GCM schools, said.

“This is the first time such a large event has been attempted in Greek schools in our city—an event that will bring together students, parents, and teachers from nine campuses, and we expect it to fill an entire stadium with spectators!

“We are especially grateful to the managers of Heidelberg United Football Club ‘Alexandros’ for providing the space and supporting our efforts. We look forward to this great celebration, which will bring the values of Olympism and Greek culture to the heart of Melbourne.”

Former CFMEU boss John Setka defends actions towards Leo Skourdoumbis

The Greek Herald
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Former CFMEU boss John Setka defends actions towards Leo Skourdoumbis

Former CFMEU boss John Setka has defended dropping a suitcase bearing the words “Leo the Dog” outside the house of CFMEU assistant national secretary Leo Skourdoumbis.

Speaking on Channel Seven’s Spotlight program on Sunday night, the controversial union figure alleged he lived nearby and the baggage belonged to Skourdoumbis.

“Returning a suitcase to someone that is owned by them is a threat now is it?” Setka said. “If that’s intimidating, I think people maybe oughta drink a cup of concrete and harden up a little bit. I mean, that was his suitcase, and I returned his suitcase.”

The suitcase that CFMEU assistant national secretary Leo Skourdoumbis says John Setka left on his driveway.
The suitcase that CFMEU assistant national secretary Leo Skourdoumbis says John Setka left on his driveway. Photo: The Australian Financial Review.

Setka resigned as secretary of the Victorian and Tasmanian branch of the CFMEU in July following questions sent to his office by The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and 60 minutes at the start of its Building Bad investigation into alleged corruption, standover tactics and links to organised crime.

Every branch in the country was placed into administration on Friday, August 23 after the Commonwealth secured the passage of legislation that would allow a takeover of the union for up to three years.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

South Melbourne and Brisbane Olympic forge bonds with a focus on National Second Tier

The Greek Herald
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South Melbourne and Brisbane Olympic forge bonds with a focus on National Second Tier

By Chairman of South Melbourne FC, Bill Papastergiadis

The mood was festive at the Limerick Arms Hotel in South Melbourne, Victoria before Brisbane Olympic’s match with South Melbourne Hellas on Sunday, August 25.

Historian Jim Claven OAM had kindly organised an introduction with Jim Bazianas (Board member of Brisbane Olympic FC ) and I was greeted by over 30 Olympic supporters at the hotel. All the supporters were in good spirits and dressed in Olympics’ colours. This highlighted the importance of connecting all tiers of football in Australia particularly with clubs that had strong historical links to the Code. This type of fervour and excitement comes from Clubs that had invested in the game for decades.

Olympic President, Manos Saridakis embraced me warmly when I arrived and said, “this is a great outcome for our club to be playing South Melbourne Hellas in the round of 16. The match means a lot to our Club and over 100 supporters have made this journey. We want to broaden our relationship with South and it would be a privilege to have you at our Hellenic Cup in January 2025.”

Our conversation then moved to the status of the National Second Tier (NST) and where Football Australia was at with it. I advised Manos that “it was progressing albeit slowly, but that this national competition was important not only for the eight foundation clubs but for all tiers of football. This is because it was envisaged that there would be promotion and relegation hopefully from NPL teams so that we create a true pyramid of interconnected football. This could be the only way football could truly progress.”

Manos said that Olympic was investing heavily in its football program and was keen to look at the NST in the future for the Club.

bill papastergiadis

Discussion then moved to the match that afternoon. We both agreed that it would be a terrific match and hoped the best team won.

As we know, South Melbourne won in extra time. It was a nail-biting match with countless scoring opportunities and over 2,500 supporters braving the rain. As Manos said to me post match, “our team left everything on the pitch. We could not ask for more from players.”

I said to Manos: “we could not have asked for more from Olympic. Their supporters were gracious and loud and created a terrific atmosphere. Their players were only moments from progressing to the next round, save for the equaliser on the 90th minute by Archibald.”

The match demonstrated the need for football across the country to continue to connect particularly with heritage clubs that offer so much to the Code. The night was testament to the need for a NST competition.

95-year-old Konstantinos Chatziemmanouil wins gold at World Masters Athletics

The Greek Herald
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95-year-old Konstantinos Chatziemmanouil wins gold at World Masters Athletics

95-year-old runner Konstantinos Chatziemmanouil from Greece has won gold medals at the World Masters Athletics Championships 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

Konstantinos won medals in the 100 metre race, crossing the finish line in 24.73 seconds. He also set a record in the M95 age category for the 400 metres.

For long jump, the Greek athlete came first, claiming the gold medal.

When Konstantinos stood on the podium to receive his medals, he received a standing ovation. Konstantinos also sang the national anthem of Greece as a sign of honour and pride in his country.

Source: vimatisko.gr.

Injury forces Maria Sakkari to retire in US Open first round

The Greek Herald
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Injury forces Maria Sakkari to retire in US Open first round

Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari retired from her US Open first-round match against China’s Wang Yafan on Monday, August 26 after just one set due to an injury.

The No. 9 Greek seed dropped the opening set 6-2 before she retired. During a medical timeout, Sakkari was seen having her neck and shoulder area worked on.

Since making the semi-finals in the US Open and French Open in 2021, Sakkari has struggled in Grand Slams, losing five times in the first round.

Sakkari recently represented Greece at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where she was knocked out in the Round of 16 by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Source: New York Post.

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