ASTORIA, NY – GNUSA
The Pancyprian Association of America will host its Annual Gala on Friday, December 5, at 7 PM at Leonard’s Palazzo (555 Northern Blvd, Great Neck, NY). This year’s Gala, marking the conclusion of a year-long celebration of the Association’s 50th anniversary, will honor George Halkidis with the prestigious Dinos Iordanou Freedom Award.
The award was renamed in 2025 to commemorate the late Constantine (Dinos) Iordanou, a founding member and one of seven lifetime trustees of the Pancyprian Association of America, who passed away on June 16, 2024.
Guests will enjoy music by Mylos Entertainment, DJ Savva, and Olympia, along with a special performance by 2026 Cyprus Eurovision representative Antigoni Buxton.
“As we close our 50th anniversary, we reflect on our many achievements and salute and express appreciation to all those who have made valuable contributions to our organization”, notes Pancyprian Association President Philip Christopher in a statement adding that “founded in 1975 with a mission to promote and project the struggle of the Greek Cypriot people for Freedom and Justice, all our divisions, Athletic, Cultural, Women’s and Eleftheria Youth have spared neither time, effort or money towards one mission”.
“Although 51 years have elapsed since the illegal, tragic invasion of the Republic of Cyprus and 37% of its territory is still under occupation by Turkish troops, our association remains a symbol of hope and we stand united with all organizations who support Freedom, Human Rights and Democratic values”, Christopher continued.
Referring to the honoree Christopher noted: “Today, we bestow the prestigious Dino Iordanou Freedom Award to our longtime supporter, George Halkidis, who like Dino, exemplifies the American dream. He immigrated from Greece in 1970, played soccer, graduated from Pratt Institute, became a successful businessman and dedicated 25 years of service to our organization”.
“Like Dino Iordanou, Nikos Mouyiaris, Kokos Andreou and many others, today we pay tribute to George for his valuable contributions to our association and in particular, express appreciation for his commitment to our champions, the NY Pancyprian Freedoms”, Christopher concluded.
Donations: $150 per person. Checks payable to: Pancyprian Association Inc. Mailing address: 23‑15 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11105.
