Weekend Wrap Up

The Gabby Awards Weekend Wrap-Up

The Greek America Foundation's second biennial Gabby Awards are now history. The event was nothing short of historic-- a monumental gathering of over 1000 people from the four corners of the world including Canada, Greece, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and over 35 U.S. states.

The weekend’s main event was the awards ceremony held in honor of Greek America’s Best and Brightest Stars was held in Ellis Island’s Registry Room. It was this very space where millions of immigrants to the United States stood in long serpentine lines, sometimes for days on end, as they waited to pass inspection so they could enter America, the land of opportunity.

The gathering of the country’s most successful Greek Americans symbolized the community coming full circle: the children and grandchildren of immigrants returning to the place where it all began.

The central theme of the weekend: Living their dreams, celebrating our success. It was a weekend of tribute to those who came before us, who paved the way for our success as a community and as individuals.

Thursday, June 2, 2011:

Tribute to Greek Film and Filmmakers

The weekend opened with a tribute to Greek film in a historic theater in Jersey City, NJ, a short bridge away from the hustle and bustle of New York City. The film series—organized in conjunction with several New Jersey Greek American community organizations—included a fitting tribute to the great director Elia Kazan, who emigrated to this country as Elias Kazanoglou, an Anatolian Greek from then Constantinople who would go on to become one of the greatest Hollywood directors of the 20th century.

Kary Antholis (President of HBO Miniseries) lectured on the life and legacy of the fellow Oscar-winning filmmaker and even recounted his own personal connection to the great director when Antholis was a young film student seeking advice and participation in a film Kazan was making.

The mini-film festival closed with “America America,” the iconic Kazan film about Greek immigrants arriving in America.

Thursday, June 2, 2011:

High Fashion’s Humble Greek village heritage

The weekend’s sponsors were welcomed at a swanky welcome reception hosted at one of the most prestigious addresses in the world—the corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, at the Bulgari shop. Known throughout the world as one of the world’s premiere luxury brands—many of the 200+ people in the room were surprised to hear that the company has its own Greek immigration story behind it.

As Gregory Pappas welcomed guests in his opening remarks, he told the story of a Greek silversmith from a village in northern Greece called Paramythia, close to Ioannina, named Sotirios Voulgaris. He crafted traditional belts and accessories made of silver and fine stones for the traditional village dress worn in festivals and weddings.  Seeking a better life—like many of the ancestors of the guests in the room that night, - Voulgaris and his family emigrated to Rome where he opened his first shop, bearing an Italianized variation of his name: Bulgari. The rest, as they say, is history.

The reception included Kanenas wines poured by Tsantalis—one of Greece’s top brands of wine that have their own international success story; and a menu prepared exclusively by Grecian Delight Foods featuring an array of unique flavors created especially for this reception by the Parthenis family from Chicago—longtime supporters of the Greek America Foundation.

Of special note: Bulgari donated a percentage of sales from the event to the Greek America Foundation. Also, it was the first time the company shared its space with the Greek American community.

Friday, June 3, 2011:

Manhattan skyline welcomes the world

The official weekend welcome reception for all guests was hosted by internationally acclaimed Greek jewelry designer Konstantino, who traveled to New York City especially for the event.

The event—with a stunning backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, included specialty drinks by Metaxa and the designer’s complete collection on display and sale, including jewel-encrusted cuffs worn by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and stunning cufflinks that adorn Sean Combs, Keith Richards and other celebs.

Proceeds of the night’s sales were donated by Konstantino to the Greek America Foundation’s philanthropic efforts. Furthermore, the master-craftsman also hand designed the statuette that was awarded to all Gabby Award winners—made of finely crafted and chiseled metal and Pentelic marble—the same quarry from which the Parthenon was built over two thousand years ago.

Passport to Greek New York

Greek New York welcomes the world

All Gabby Awards weekend guests were treated to their very own "Passport to Greek New York", a passport-sized booklet that included an eclectic gathering of supporting retailers, cultural institutions and restaurants who opened their arms to the hundreds of out of town guests.

John Varvatos’ shops in swanky Soho and the cutting edge Bowery neighborhood offered discounts to all Gabby passport holders, as did Eleni’s cookies in Chelsea Market, and Folli Follie offered guests a free leather passport holder and a percentage off sales.

Partner restaurants—a collection of New York City’s best Greek restaurants—offered complimentary welcome drinks, appetizers for the table and discounts off the total check for all passport holders. Participating establishments included Molyvos, Kefi, and Oceana as well as Milos which also offered guests a parting gift basket of Greek olive oil and Greek spoon sweets.

Guests also trekked to the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the priceless Greek and Byzantine collections housed in the Jaharis galleries. The museum opened its arms to hundreds of Gabby Awards guests that weekend, where the gift shop offered Gabby passport holders a discount off their purchases.

Fast-forward to the Past

Immigrants greet black tie clad guests

As the guests began arriving at the check in podiums at Battery Park, a surreal scene was beginning to play out around them. Over a dozen “immigrants” also assembled—huddled together, scared, carrying their suitcases and chatting amongst themselves in Greek.

There was a sailor named Taki who was escaping famine in post WWII Crete and a chocolate maker from Naoussa. There was also a young lady barely out of her teens coming to marry a man she only knew from photographs, and a starry-eyed villager from the Peloponnese whose uncle paid his passage to America.

The “immigrants” were actors—complete with props, period costumes and regional dialects of the immigrants they portrayed. The icing on the cake—the theater company studied the GabbyAwards.com website and re-created the real life stories of the ancestors of people like Nora Presti of Baltimore, Gregory Pappas of Pittsburgh, Melina Kanakaredes of Los Angeles and others involved in the planning and execution of the event.

It was an emotional experience for those lucky enough to catch Melina Kanakaredes’ “grandfather” offering her a piece of chocolate as guests lined up for the mandatory security check point before they boarded the boats to Ellis Island. In fact, when she recounted meeting “her grandfather” from the stage, she was choked up.

The boat trip to Ellis Island was a nostalgic journey for all—recounting the first views their parents and grandparents must have experienced as they sailed into New York harbor a century ago. The actors, as well, added to the charm of the experience, crying when they laid their first glimpses on Lady Liberty as the ferry boats sailed by the Statue of Liberty.

As the boats arrived at Ellis Island, guests openly sobbed at the experience of setting foot on the first American soil that their own parents and grandparents set foot on when they landed. Ahead, near the main building, “immigration officers” blew their whistles and greeted guests, escorting them into the main building where a lavish cocktail and appetizer reception was held.

The contrast of the sight inside the Baggage Room was striking. On the walls were photographs of destitute immigrants and the room was decorated with dozens of original suitcases and trunks carried on the backs of turn of the last century immigrants. Filling the room were their successful descendants—corporate giants, Hollywood actors and directors, professionals and successful people from all walks of life, the majority of whom had their own family’s American stories beginning in that very room.

Following the reception—and in almost pristine (read: un-Greek) fashion, the guests made their way up a single set of steps—in a most revered and respectful manner, as if they knew that these steps were referred to back then as the “steps to freedom,” by some, and the “steps of tears,” by others.

These were the same steps that welcomed millions of immigrants into the great vaulted Registry Room, where they waited hours to be processed and examined. Tonight, there was no processing.

The Registry Room had been transformed into a giant 1000-seat theater, complete with a giant screen, spotlights and an impressive presentation of projected imagery. Through the windows, the Statue of Liberty was clearly visible on the one side and the shimmering skyline of New York City on the other.

With the dimming of the lights, the angelic music began—a rendition of the classic Mikis Theodorakis “Song of Exile” performed by the multi-platinum group Trifono who had traveled from Greece to participate in the opening ceremonies of the Gabby Awards.

The song, known among an entire generation as the anthem of immigrants, recounts the travels of an immigrant, who is journeying in foreign lands and is asking the heavens to take care of his mother back in the village.

On the giant screen, a video produced by Emmy-winning television director Greg Yaitanes played, featuring original footage and dozens of photographs of the ancestors of many people in the room who were watching the program unfold. The opening of the awards included an emotional finale with Glykeria, one of the biggest selling female recording artists in Greek music.

What followed was an Oscars-quality awards show, hosted by Fox News anchors Laura Manatos from Washington DC and Anna Davlantes from Chicago, complete with comedy, raw emotion, excitingly funny personal stories and tear-jerking acceptance speeches.

The show was complete with additional entertainment—including a duet by Emanuel Ayvas and George Psomas, two professional entertainers, whose grandparents walked through the very room they were singing in, performing a song they wrote called “Journeys.”

And historic symbolism was also prevalent from the beginning of the guests’ journey, to the very podium that was used (an actual inspection podium from the Ellis Island Immigration Museum), as well as historical videos that were played throughout the program.

Two Lifetime Achievement Awards were handed out during the course of the night—one to former Massachusetts Governor and one-time Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who received a tearful introduction by his first cousin Olympia Dukakis. The former governor spoke with passion about his parents—both of whom walked through the very room he was standing in receiving his own award.

The second Lifetime Achievement Award was another emotional experience, as the recipient, modern artist Stephen Antonakos, was a child in the early 1930s when his he, himself, walked through that very room as an immigrant with his family. Antonakos was introduced by Helen Evans, one of the world’s foremost art historians and curator of Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

As a further example of the Greek America Foundation’s unique programming and dedication to supporting young talent in the community, a short film competition was organized to feature the life and legacy of Stephen Antonakos and his art. In total, more than a dozen entries were received—some from filmmakers as young as sixteen years old. The winning film, by Dennis Latos of New York, was shown prior to Antonakos’ receiving his award.

Co-presenters and Honorary Co-Chairs of the event John Varvatos and Melina Kanakaredes brought a dose of Hollywood and high fashion to the stage. They were introduced while overhead, images of their grandparents from the early 1920s and 1930s played, including a ship’s manifest from 1919 that carried the name “John Varvatos” - the designer’s grandfather and namesake - who arrived in America through Ellis Island onboard the SS Evgenia from Patras on September 26, 1912.

Varvatos and Kanakaredes presented the Gabby Award in Performing Arts to former American Idol finalist and Tony-nominated actor and singer Constantine Maroulis, who accepted via a pre-recorded video. He was unable to attend the event because his current show “Rock of Ages” is on a sold out nationwide tour following tremendous success on Broadway.

Dr. David Horner, president of the American College of Greece, presented the Education award to Dr. Linda Katehi, Chancellor of the University of California Davis. In her tearful acceptance, which many considered to be the most moving part of the evening, she noted that in most cases, when an immigrant left, someone was left behind. “In my case, it was my mother,” the Greek native noted as shivers went down the spines of most of the audience.

Fashion visionary and Oscar-nominated costume designer Patricia Field spoke of her Greek immigrant grandparents and playfully announced the nominees for “Best Dressed” to the amusement of the audience. She presented the Arts and Culture award to Louie Psihoyos, the filmmaker who won an Oscar last year for his documentary “The Cove”.

John Aniston—known to many in the room as Victor Kiriakis, the character he’s played on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives for the past quarter of a century — presented the politics award to U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe. During his presentation, he spoke about his own family name, which was Anastasakis. “If you were a Papadopoulos at Ellis Island you had a fifty-fifty chance of becoming a Pappas or a Poulos.”

Cat Cora—the celebrity chef known for fusing her Greek and Southern heritage in the kitchen had a dual role this year. In addition to presenting the Athletics Award to hockey great Chris Chelios who did not show up to receive his award, she was the chef in charge of the meal at the after party—the results of which are still circulating throughout the airwaves of Twitter and Facebook… “Best pastitsio ever at the Gabby Awards” someone tweeted that night… Someone else posted a photo of Cat’s famed “Kota Kapama” and wrote on Facebook: “Sorry mom, Cat’s is better.”

In another emotional part of the night, which really brought the actual space into perspective, Helen Alexander—known in Chicago circles as a longtime advocate for all things Greek through her work with the United Hellenic American Congress and the National Hellenic Museum — presented the Promotion of Hellenism Award to AHEPA via its national president Nick Karacostas.

Helen was a six-year-old girl when she emigrated with her own family—escapees from post war Northern Epirus (Albanian territory). She recounted her story of traveling from to America on a boat called “Hellas” and landing at Ellis Island. During her presentation, images of her family’s 1949 arrival were projected on the screen.

On a night filled with Hollywood legends, another individual who fits that description perfectly was also present to share his own Greek immigrant story—this one with a Jewish twist. Sid Ganis—the producer of dozens of films and past president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (yes, the folks who put on the Academy Awards) recounted his own family’s journey from Ioannina in Northern Greece. Ganis presented the Science and Medicine Award to Dr. Andreas Tzakis from Miami, the world-renowned transplant surgeon whose groundbreaking work has saved thousands of lives.

Proving that life imitates art (and vice versa), Wall Street businessman Tommy Belesis, Chief Executive Officer of John Thomas Financial, presented the Business & Entrepreneurship award to Fox Films CEO Jim Gianopulos. Belesis also played a cameo role in the hit film “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”—a film that was distributed by Fox Films.

In one of the more humorous moments of the evening, during his acceptance speech, Gianopulos reminded the girl waving the “time’s up” card in the front row that this wasn’t “Oscar time, it was Greek time” and that he would speak as long as he liked.

Finally, the evening closed with the presentation of the Philanthropy Award to Detroit businessman Peter Karmanos, known equally for his business success as founder of the computer giant Compuware and owner of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, as much for his support of many philanthropic endeavors including a cancer center named after his late wife to which he has donated millions of dollars.

Prior to his presentation of the final award, Gregory Pappas, the founder of the Greek America Foundation presented several new initiatives that the organization would undertake, including the announcement of a $200,000 endowed scholarship spearheaded by the family of Baltimore businessman and philanthropist Nick Tsakalos, as well as an internship program in conjunction with the Libra Group, followed by a presentation by the group's CEO, George Logothetis.

The Foundation also introduced its new brand and logo to the gathered guests, featured in a presentation by Manos Sifakis, CEO of customedialabs, the exclusive digital and marketing partner of the Greek America Foundation.

After the emotional ceremony, guests were transported by boat to Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers for an exciting after party that lasted into the early morning hours. The party featured a delectable menu designed by Cat Cora and a dessert bar featuring cupcakes by Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne from Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington DC who are also the subjects of the popular TLC show “DC Cupcakes.” Additional goodies on the dessert table included chocolates by Chocolat Moderne infused with Greek flavors like Kalamata olives and Aegean sea salt; and, cookies by Eleni’s—cookie maker to the stars.

At the end of the night, all guests were treated to a symbolic gift bag as they left—a vintage suitcase filled with gifts from sponsors and friends of the Foundation, including a DVD of the Elia Kazan film “America America”, olive oil and other tasty Greek products and a certificate valued at a free night at any Starwood Hotel in Greece.

Musical Journey: Fitting Finale to the Big Apple Weekend

The weekend closed with a concert featuring Trifono, the platinum-selling group from Greece that opened the awards ceremony the night before. The concert featured songs from Greece’s rich musical heritage, warmly received by the hundreds of people who attended. The concert included a special appearance by Lina Orfanos, a New Jersey native and accomplished singer who has performed throughout the world.  The tickets to the concert were included in everyone’s Gabby Awards weekend ticket package.

Proceeds from the weekend event will benefit the Greek America Foundation’s Hellenic Legacy Endowment Fund for study abroad scholarships to Greece, as well as other philanthropic endeavors.

Click here to see photos from the weekend.