201712.22
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Honouring the Donors of the Statue of the Greek Immigrant

On Sunday, December 17, 2017 the HCGM, the Lyceum of Greek Women of Montreal (LGWM) and the Hellenic Congress of Quebec honoured the donors of The Statue of the Greek Immigrant by throwing a superb cocktail. The event took place at the Hellenic Community Centre Adrian Maris. HCGM President Nicholas Pagonis along with LGWM’s Justine Frangoulis were the main hosts of the ceremony.

The event began with colourful piggy bank giveaways (Greek= κουμπαράδες) by the LGWM to the most committed dancers of École Socrates-Démosthène, and Syrtaki Folkloric Group. The piggy banks were sent from Greece’s Eurobank, one of the largest banks in the country, to promote savings. In this context, student Despina Paschalidis, wearing a traditional Pontian costume, made a speech about saving and how it can change our lives.

Highlight of the event was the first official screening of the documentary “The Making of the Statue” by talented director Tommy Sklavos. With beautiful cinematography, it captured the moments from the statue’s sculpting to its installation at the corner of Park Avenue and Jean-Talon. The black and white footage of the film depicting Greek immigrants of the 50’s boarding ships to leave the motherland and follow their dream for a better future was very touching, bringing tears to the eyes.