“Our aim is to celebrate Greek America’s Best and Brightest Stars by creating an award that is representative of the excellence that Greek Americans embody in their work,” stated Gregory C. Pappas, publisher of Greek America Magazine and creator of The Gabby Awards.

Dennis Malamatinas, the Chief Executive Officer of Greece's Marfin Investment Group, fresh from his company's historic purchase of Olympic Airlines, will attend the Gala event in Chicago on June 19th and present the Gabby Award for Business and Entrepreneurism. For Malamatinas, it is a sort of homecoming because he got his BS in Economics from Roosevelt University in Chicago. He went on to get his MBA from the University of Chicago, and the rest, as they say, is history. He went on to lead some of the largest companies in the United States and the world and also become one of the five founding members of President Clinton's Welfare to Work Reform Initiative. He is currently the CEO of MIG (Marfin Investment Group Holdings), the largest Industrial group in SE Europe with $10 billion assets.

Honorary Co-Chairs of the Gabby Awards are actress Melina Kanakaredes and menswear designer John Varvatos. The show will be emceed by Chicago's own Emmy Award winning television journalist Anna Davlantes.

The Chicago launch party took place downtown at the Bentley-Lamborghini dealership, with wine, champagne and passed appetizers in a festive, celebratory environment. Crowds cheered for local favorites who were announced among the forty nominees.

In New York City, celebrated designer John Varvatos and Bon Appétit Chef of the Year Michael Psilakis welcomed guests at the swank Soho boutique, while American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis, celebrated ‘Sex and the City’ costume designer Patricia Field, daytime soap actor Frank Dicopoulos and Gabby nominees John Catsimatidis and Col. Matthew Bogdanos mingled with the crowd of 200+ New Yorkers.

“This is the greatest idea in the Greek American community in our generation,” said Psilakis, whose restaurants Anthos and Kefi provided the food for the New York City kick-off party.

Varvatos added that “Greek Americans who aren’t necessarily involved with the community have a great vehicle in the Gabby Awards to celebrate the hard work and dedication of so many special individuals. This is a project I’m honored to be a part of.”

The eight Gabby Award categories include Business, Education, Performing Arts, Culture, Athletics, Philanthropy, Promotion of Hellenism and Politics—all areas in which Greek Americans have excelled over the years.

Five nominees per category were announced—selected by a secret ballot of an 85-member nationwide committee known as the Gabby Academy, which was asked to select three individuals in each category. The top five candidates in each category were selected as nominees. In the case of a tie, a sixth individual was included as a nominee in that category.

The Gabby Awards will be handed out to winners at a black tie gala awards show in Chicago on June 19th at the historic Merle Reskin Theater, followed by an unforgettable after party directly next door at the Chicago Hilton and Towers.

In addition to the eight Gabby awards, a special Lifetime Achievement award presented by Fox Films CEO Jim Gianopulos will be given to Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis.

The event will include music and many surprises for the guests in attendance, including a special video and musical tribute to Greeks in Hollywood.

The after party will be a special celebration with open bars, unlimited food buffets and musical entertainment by Greece’s biggest-selling female recording artist, Glykeria, who with her complete orchestra, promises to turn the International Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel into the biggest Greek dance party this side of the Atlantic.

Greek Americans are encouraged to vote at www.gabbyawards.com. Detailed biographical information about each nominee is on the website, as well as event and ticket information. Only 1000 tickets, which include entrance to the awards show and after party, will be sold.

Proceeds from the Gabby Awards will benefit the Hellenic Legacy Fund, a new endowment fund of the Greek America Foundation, which will award scholarships to students for study abroad programs in Greece.

For more information, please visit www.gabbyawards.com or search for “The Gabby Awards” on Facebook.