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When Dr. John Frankis and Nick Katopodis from Manhasset, New York, came up with the idea of organizing a Welcome the Summer event in support of NEO magazine – the first of its kind for this publication – given that it was late May, they concluded that a maximum of 50 friends, for a last-minute notice, was the best they could hope for. Well, they were wrong! When the night of the event came, a beautiful June evening with a majestic sunset, over 100 people--double what they expected--showed up at Roslyn’s super-elegant Limani Restaurant to share a few hours of each other’s company, to meet new people, enjoy the wonderful Greek wine offered for the occasion by Dimitris Ziozis from Wonderful Ethnic Imports, and to savor the mouth-watering appetizers of Chef Peter Spyropoulos.
Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, NEO’s Man of the Year for 2010, joined the attendees and received a framed cover of the June issue, featuring himself and his achievements in his half year on the job (in which he cut the County’s deficit by half). Rev. Gerasimos Ballas, Dean at St. Anargyroi and Taxiarhes Church in Greenport, was there as well, John Levas, President of the area’s AHEPA Gold Coast Chapter 456, Eleftheria Ikouta, Principal of the Greek School of Plato, in Brooklyn, Tina Handras, Senior Vice President of Marathon Bank, with Nikolas Kostakos, head of the local branch, Emmanuel Caravanos, Treasurer of the Hellenic American Bankers Association, Kathy DeRosa, founder and President of the DeRosa Foundation, and John Dimitrakakis, founder and President of the Hellenic Business Network.
Indeed, everybody was special that evening and that was reflected in the people’s festive mood. “We gathered here to recognize the work this wonderful magazine is doing for the community and to ensure that it will continue to do so,” said Dr. John Frankis welcoming the guests. “I thank you all for coming – indeed in such a short notice. It shows your sensitivity and quality as Hellenes and friends of the Hellenes to show up whenever and wherever our extended civic duty calls.”
This October, NEO magazine marks five years of uninterrupted publication. It also marks the beginning of a new 24/7 radio station, RadioNEO, which will be on the air in New York and Chicago and all over the US online (radioneo.us). Details to follow.
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