|
For information contact: ELENA THOMOPOULOS RAISES $1,000 FOR THE GREEK CHILDREN'S FUND Astoria , NY , January 6, 2005 - Elena Thomopoulos, a 13 year-old girl from River Vale, NJ raised $1,000 on behalf of the Greek Children's Fund (GCF). Elena personally presented her donation to GCF committee members during their general meeting at the PanCyprian Center in Astoria , NY . “We're very grateful to Elena for her fundraising efforts and for her generosity. It's inspiring to meet a young person who strives to make a difference in the lives of others,” said GCF president Chris Coroneos. On September 3, 2004 , while other teenagers were away for Labor Day weekend, Elena celebrated her 13 th birthday a few months early by organizing a pool party for 37 of her friends. She asked everyone attending her party to make a donation to the Greek Children's Fund instead of giving her a birthday present. “I just wanted to give to those who are less fortunate than myself,” said Elena “I hope the $1,000 that I raised is enough to help someone.” The idea for the party came about when her mom encouraged her to donate some of her presents to those less fortunate than her a few years ago. Elena's donation will pay for a pediatric cancer patient from Greece or Cyprus to stay at the Ronald McDonald House in New York City with his/her family for one month and it will cover the monthly stipend for living expenses that GCF will provide to this family. Elena's actual birth date is November 6. She is a student at Holdrum Middle School and enjoys taking part in extracurricular activities involving music, dance and sports such as playing the piano, jazz and volleyball. Elena learned about GCF by attending two of their fundraisers with her family at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly , NJ . “GCF wishes Elena a wonderful new year and congratulates her for charitably acting to help other children in need,” said Sam Matthews, former GCF president. The Greek Children's Fund affiliated with Memorial Sloan – Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and Schneider Children's Hospital (SCH) provides financial assistance towards the daily, non-medical needs of Greek, Cypriot and Greek-American children and their families who are treated at MSKCC and SCH. One of the primary objectives that the organization has achieved is an endowed program at MSKCC that will secure its services to Greek and Cypriot patients in perpetuity. More information about GCF is available at www.greekchildrensfund.org .
Photos courtesy of the Themopoulos Family, River Vale, NJ
|
