“Tonight we honored excellence in public service, philanthropy, and in one’s chosen profession,” said Supreme President Nicholas Karacostas. “Our honorees inspire and serve as a fine example for all of us to emulate in our everyday lives. Their work on behalf of the community, and within society, is reflected in the worthy mission of the AHEPA family. The American Hellenic community can be proud of their fine accomplishments.”

The honorees for the evening included: Honorable Robert Menendez, AHEPA Pericles Award, Honorable Carolyn B. Maloney, AHEPA Pericles Award, Dr. William J. Tenet, AHEPA Academy of Achievement Award-Medicine, Dimitrios Kaloidis, AHEPA Archbishop Iakovos Humanitarian Award, Colonel Mark D. Gatanas (ret.), AHEPA Medal of Freedom, Captain Dimitrios G. Roumeliotis, AHEPA Presidential Certificate of Honor and Nick Manos, AHEPA Hellenic Award.

More than 300 persons attended this sold out gala affair which was the first of four AHEPA National Regional Salute Banquets to be held in 2009 – 2010. Traditionally, AHEPA hosts a Biennial Salute Banquet in Washington, DC every two years. However this administrative year, the Supreme Lodge decided to embark on a new and fresh approach by taking this historically gala affair “on the road” to four geographically disperse communities. Future venues include: Portland, Ore., on March 6, 2010; and Chicago on April 24, 2010. A fourth venue will be finalized soon.

Past Supreme Governor and Past Sons of Pericles Supreme President James Gounaris served as Master of Ceremonies. Other notables included: former CIA Director George Tenet who presented his brother, Dr. William Tenet, with the AHEPA Academy of Achievement Award in Medicine; and Greek Ambassador to the U.S. Vassilis Kaskarelis, Consul-General of the Republic of Cyprus Andreas Panayiotou, and PSEKA President Philip Christopher offered remarks.

AHEPA was established in 1922 by visionary Greek-Americans to protect all from prejudice from the KKK. In its history, AHEPA has joined with the NAACP and B’nai B’rith International to fight discrimination. It has grown to become the largest membership-based association for Hellenic-Americans and Philhellenes in the world.