The Hellenic Initiative Joins Athens Anti-Graffiti Campaign

The Athens Partnership (AP) has worked with the Athens municipality to bring palpable, positive change to the city’s environs in recent years and now. The Hellenic Initiative (THI) is donating kick-off capital and launching a global fundraising effort to boost AP’s anti-graffiti campaign, in the picturesque historic Plaka District.

AP is a nonprofit organization that promotes partnerships between the private and public sector and leverages donations to support the city of Athens. Places like Plaka are becoming much nicer and cleaner areas for Athenians and tourists to experience thanks to the city of Athens efforts.

Almost completely reliant on tourists, the pandemic has hit the historic district hard, but with Greece’s vaccination program reopening the tourism gateways, Plaka, as a top destination for tourists from across the globe needs to look perfect as Athens welcomes back the world.

According to Drake Behrakis, THI Board Member, “Plaka is the showplace of ancient Athens and in many ways the heart of the city.  It is a monument that belongs not just to Greece and Greeks but to all of us.  We are proud to join in sponsoring this program and hope to encourage others to participate.”

“As a life-long visitor to Athens, and resident since 2007, I am very impressed with the progress this administration has made in caring for and beautifying the city. THI is delighted to work with AP on this important project”, said Peter Poulos, THI’s Executive Director.

By cleaning the streets and treating the walls with anti-graffiti materials that resist new illegal posters and make cleaning new graffiti easy, Plaka will become even more lovely.

The City of Athens has completed 40 cleaning and anti-graffiti projects in the past year, restoring the appeal of areas like Omonia Square, Patision and Panepistimiou avenues, and the popular Thision and Monastiraki districts.

“Step by step, with well-thought out initiatives that include public-private sector collaborations through ‘Adopt the City‘ program, we are restoring the charm and glory of the great city Athenians and visitors remember and introducing it to new friends from all over the world. We thank THI for its love for our city and its generous support,” said Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.