UPPER DARBY, PA – GNUSA [Photos by St. Demetrios FB]
A special and memorable encounter with the Evzones of the Hellenic Presidential Guard took place on Thursday afternoon, April 23, for the students of the Greek Afternoon School of the St. Demetrios community in Upper Darby.
The Evzones’ contingent, which will participate in the Greek Independence Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA, on Sunday, April 26, visited the St. Demetrios parish to give Greek American children the opportunity to learn more about this historic and honorable elite corps.
The event unfolded in a deeply moving atmosphere, with nearly 80 Greek School students and their parents in attendance. The children had the chance to meet the Evzones up close, attend an educational presentation, ask questions, and converse in Greek with the officer leading the visit, strengthening their connection to Greek heritage.
In a Facebook post, Fr. Alexandros Kaitidis, the community’s presiding priest noted that “as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation, the students sang the march Macedonia Xakousti, moving everyone present”.
He described the presence of the Evzones as a “great honor for the community of St. Demetrios”.
“We would like to express our warmest thanks to the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of Philadelphia and Greater Delaware Valley for its support and contribution to the realization of this special event”, Fr. Kaitidis noted in his post, adding that the Greek Flag Raising Ceremony will take place on April 24 at noon at Philadelphia City Hall, while on Sunday at 2pm, the Philadelphia Greek Independence Parade will be held in the city center.
