Hellenic Medical Society Honors Michael Jaharis and Drs. Antoine Harovas and Jack Soterakis

The Hellenic Medical Society of New York honored Michael Jaharis, a Founder of Leadership 100, a pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry and a philanthropist, with the Distinguished Hellene Award at its 79th Annual Scholarship Gala at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan on December 4, 2015.  Mary Jaharis, a long-time member of Leadership 100, accepted the award on behalf of her husband.

Also honored were long-time Leadership 100 member, Dr. Antoine Harovas, posthumously with the Distinguished Colleague Award and Dr. Jack Soterakis, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Medical Director of St. Francis Hospital, was presented with the Distinguished Physician Award. Harovas, an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was a past President of the Hellenic Medical Society.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, who offered the invocation, paid tribute to the honorees. Hellenic Medical Society President Dr. George Liakeas greeted the guests and thanked all who contributed to the success of the event, co-chaired by his wife, Nicole Contos Liakeas, Susan McCarthy, and Dr. Theo Diktaban.

In presenting the award to Michael Jaharis, Mrs. Liakeas said that "one of the things he could not achieve was perfect anonymity, for who does not know Michael Jaharis?" She said that while fellow Greeks respect him for his leadership as Vice Chairman of the Archdiocesan Council, non-Greeks recognize his name from the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek and Roman and Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the Art Institute of Chicago, and for his endowment of scholarships and professorships and support of medical research. Jaharis is also an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Diktaban, in presenting the award for Dr. Harovas, said his "love for medicine was matched by his deep sense of Hellenism and support of the Church.” He also introduced Dr. Soterakis, who said he was humbled to accept the award and praised the Hellenic Medical Society's mission of education, research and philanthropy, as well as its support of the Greek American Community.

Among the attendees were Greece's Ambassador to the United Nations, Catherine Boura, Consul General of Greece to New York, Ambassador George Iliopoulos, Greek Consul, Manos Koubarakis and Consul General of Cyprus, Ambassador Vasilios Philippou.