Greece Is The Word

VOL 56

11 AUGUST 2023

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1.

MAY HIS MEMORY BE ETERNAL

His scholarly book San Francisco’s Greek Colony: The Evolution of an Ethnic Community, published in 1995, was the first of its kind and is still cited to this day – most recently, in the San Francisco Chronicle. Born in San Francisco to Greek immigrants himself, he grew up among a multitude of other immigrant groups, so in addition to speaking Greek and English he also made sure to learn words and phrases in Italian, German, Cantonese, and several other languages in order to better communicate with all his neighbors. Recognizing the value of community contribution, education, and knowing one’s history, he taught Sunday School and worked with his church’s historical society for decades. No matter where in the world he was, when the band started playing the Kalamatiano, he was the first one on the dance floor – and if he was at Ascension’s Greek festival, he was leading the dances while encouraging non-Greeks to join in, singing in the choir, and serving up yiayia-made deliciousness in the cafeteria. He was the MC and koumbaro at more Greek weddings than we can count. When he taught history and civics at Mission and Washington High Schools in San Francisco, some of his students founded the Gorgeous George Fan Club, and in 2019 one of his former students established a scholarship at Washington High School in his name. Perpetually studying, learning, and innovating, he became one of the first college professors to design curriculum for and teach women’s history and Black history in California. A lifelong track-and-field enthusiast, at age 65 – after extensive cancer treatment including chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant – he still outran 20-somethings in street races. He was an historian; an athlete and scholar who received both academic and athletic scholarships to attend Saint Ignatius, USF, and University of California, Berkeley; an award-winning teacher and professor; an adoring husband; an actively engaged son, son-in-law, and brother; and, lucky for us, a doting father. He profoundly cherished his wife Elizabeth, whom he met at a – wait for it – Greek dance. We dedicate this edition of Greece Is The Word to our father, our teacher, our motivation and inspiration. He absolutely loved life and learning and running and dancing and singing and teaching. And he was so proud of his Greek heritage. His curiosity was insatiable. He was grateful and humble and disciplined. He knew how to put the hours in for the work that he loved so much and also put countless hours into us. He made a deeply positive impact not only on us but on countless other people. We are so proud of him. Four days ago marked 24 years since our father George Peter Daskarolis died. We dedicate this edition to him.

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2.

MARIA MARIA

No, not that Santana song. We’re talking about the matchmaker. She’s passionate about her work and helping women live lives they love. Check out part of our conversation with Maria the Matchmaker here.

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3.

THE PEOPLE

Or demos, as in The Demos Center, which was founded recently at The American College of Greece by our friend and all-around superstar, Dr. Mary Cardaras. The Demos Center’s mission inspires us and is urgently needed: “To promote democracy by fostering civic engagement, multiculturalism, and inclusivity through the practice of engaged and effective citizenship.”

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You know someone who makes a positive contribution to your community! Nominate that person to receive the Antonios Kounalakis Award!

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4.

VASSILIS

If you have ever worried about your high cholesterol or learned anything about the correlation between high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, chances are good that this month’s Antonios Kounalakis Award winner contributed to what you understand.
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5.

ΡΟΔΟΣ

This is heartbreaking.

Please support our friends at Ecogenia. They are integrating best practices for wildfire preparedness, prevention, and relief efforts into their pilot projects and ongoing work as part of their vision to build a national youth climate corps for Greece.

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6.

DREAMING IN GREEK

We are often on an island. Maybe we are on an island in a cave. Or breaking a Guinness World Record while dancing the Kalamatiano with all of Kalamata.

When this guy dreams of Greece, here’s what people are wearing.

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7.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

“Henry Miller once wrote, ‘The light of Greece opened my eyes, penetrated my pores, expanded my whole being.’ Greece can be enlightening — and nowhere more so than its capital city, Athens.”

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8.

SCUSAMI, BUT YOU SEE, BACK IN OLD NAPOLI...

Actually, Vincenzo was in Corfu. Naples won its first Serie A title in 33 years and Vincenzo La Porta finally lost.

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9.

FREE THE BEACHES

Want to be able to lie on a beach in Greece without paying for a sunbed and an umbrella? So do these folks.

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To become a patron of Greece Is the Word, click here. Jeff Bezos doesn’t need any more of your money!

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10.

GREECE IS FAMOUS FOR FAMOUS VISITORS

Show of hands, please. Did any celebrities not go to Greece this year?

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Got Greek pride? Show it!

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Take care of yourselves and one another!

Opa!
Peter and the Greece Is The Word Crew

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