L100 PARTNERS END FIRST YEAR WITH GIFT OF 52 MEMBERS

Leadership 100 Partners gathered for an end of the year Christmas party December 17 in the Atrium of the Olympic Tower, home to L100 offices, to celebrate reaching a goal of 52 members and to put out the message that the next generation must carry Orthodoxy and Hellenism forward in America.

Some 150 young professionals gathered on December 17 to hear George D. Behrakis, L100 Chairman, tell them that “If Hellenism and Orthodoxy don’t survive in America it is the responsibility of your generation.” “We need you,” he said. “Without you, Hellenism will be extinct.” He recounted the achievements of Leadership 100, not only in advancing Orthodoxy and Hellenism, but in reaching out in time of national and international crisis, with aid during September 11, Hurricane Katrina and the devastating fires in Greece.

George Stamas, a member of the Leadership 100 Board of Trustees who is with the prestigious Kirkland and Ellis law firm in Washington D.C., whose son, Paul, is a member of Leadership 100 Partners, told the group, “You are here because something is stirring inside you, whether because you grew up in the Church or heard it from the knee of your grandmother or grandfather, , that there is something very special to hold on to in our heritage, values and friendship that give you an extra handle when times are tough.”

Paulette Poulos, Executive Director (Interim) of Leadership 100, welcomed the group and introduced Michael Bapis, L100 Partners Chairman who told his peers, “We are a special people with a special heritage. We are the next generation to carry on and Leadership 100 is the best vehicle, the best organization in America to perpetuate our Orthodox faith and our Hellenic heritage.”

L100 Partners allows young professionals to join Leadership 100 at a graduated scale of giving until they reach the maximum contribution of $100,000. It is the nation’s preeminent membership organization and endowment that advances Orthodoxy and Hellenism through grants that support the ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and programs ranging from scholarships for those studying for the priesthood and relief for needy clergy, building the technological infrastructure of the Church and Holy Cross School of Theology, and supporting Greek Education and humanitarian relief worldwide.