HELLENIC REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR GREEKS ABROAD AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Message from the Deputy Foreign Minister for Greeks abroad, Konstantinos Vlasis
HELLENIC REPUBLIC REGION OF ATTICA
Message from Lefteris Avgenakis: Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports.
HELLENIC REPUBLIC REGION OF ATTICA
George Patoulis
Regional Governor of Attica
HELLENIC REPUBLIC REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions President of the Association of Greek Regions Governor of Central Macedonia
HELLENIC REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
John Chrysoulakis, Secretary General for Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad
The Idea
The idea of this unique event is to raise awareness in Greece and in the Greek communities around the world, to increase the interest about the Hellenic history and to appraise the American interest for the Hellenic revolution during the years of 1821-1829.
We celebrate the Hellenic spirit, our values and the ideas of “Freedom” and “Democracy” with an inspired and unique event that will attract the eyes of the world. A work inspired by our strong desire to remind everyone of the natural beauty of Greece along with the willpower and the bravery of our nation. Our ancestors fought and died not only for the land but also for the ideas like freedom of will, freedom of speech, freedom of action and for the freedom that defies tyranny.
“We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts have their root in Greece”
Percy Bysshe Shelley
The Event
The main event will be on the 6th of June departing from New York towards the Statue of Liberty. “Sail to Freedom”. Sailing boats adorned with Greek flags will be sailing towards the Statue of Liberty. With this we want to honour the critical contribution of the nautical force of Greece, the “bourlotierides” of Hydra and Spetses and the mighty captains like Laskarina Bouboulina and Andreas Miaoulis who played important part in the Hellenic Revolution. We also want to denote the ancient ties between our country and the sea. The sailing route towards the Statue of Liberty was selected as a sail towards the symbol of freedom for all races. Head of the armada will be a three-masted sailboat carrying top journalists from the USA and Greece; like the New York Times, Washington Post, Kathimerini etc. In front of the Statue of Liberty, Jennifer Anne Kovacs, an Aerial dancer of international reputation, will perform an extreme dancing show from the main mast of the boat, tied with huge silk fabrics. The spectacular show with the aerial dancer spinning in the void, will represent the courageous decision that our ancestors took in 1821 to defy the mighty Ottoman Empire with their scarce resources. Their love for freedom fuelled them to start the Revolution, an act similar to a jump in the void. It is also an allegorical recreation of the legendary Dance of Zalongou that took place before 1821, in December 1803, with the heroic resistance of the women of Souli who literally jumped into the void choosing an honourable death over the disgrace from the Ottomans and this was perhaps one of the first Hellenic rebel yells that preluded the historic “Freedom or Death” of the Hellenic Revolution.
Sail to Freedom.
The History of the Greek Revolution of 1821
American Philhellenes
Their critical contribution to the liberation of Greece and the Revolution of 1821
The Team
Evageline Plakas
Global Alive LLC – CEO
Evlambia Revi
journalist
Kostas Kimoulis
director
Vassilis Papadopoulos
advertising
Nicole Petallides
Anchor, Td Ameritrade Network
Former Fox News Anchor
Spiridoula Irida Spanea
journalist
Eva Metis Koutoumanou
Journalist/ founder SOSY Ladies/ TV & event production manager
Nicos Terzis
composer / arranger producer
Edward Kostakis
aerial operations
Angie Tsekenis Xidias
Public Relations
Clelia Charissis
Journalist, Poet / Public Relations of Hellenic Tennis Federation
Marigo Mihalos
Consultant | Relationship
LET’S CELEBRATE TOGETHER!
An opportunity to honor our ancestors’ achievements and reflect on the kind of future we want to share and what actions – and sacrifices – we are willing to make toward its achievement, just as our ancestors did.
The Greek Online School
Debbie Matenopoulos TV Host journalist
We Celebrate All Together 200 Years of Greek Independence Ambassador “Sail To Freedom”
Under the auspices:
HELLENIC REPUBLIC – MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR GREEKS ABROAD AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
DIAMOND SPONSORS
SPONSORS
With the support of :
AHEPA Empire State District # 6 New York State
AHEPA, Delphi Chapter #25 Manhattan, NYC
Bicentennial Greece
Hellenic Lawyers Association of New York
Hellenic Medical Society of New York
Sons of Pericles New Renaissance Chapter # 5 Manhattan, NYC
World Hellenic Biomedical Association
Daughters of Penelope Evryklea Chapter # 36 Manhattan, NYC
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
Euro-American Women’s Council
Eastern Mediterranean Business and Cultural Alliance New York City, NY
Hellenic Institute Of Cultural Diplomacy – Nashville, Tennessee
MEDIA SPONSORS
