On Thursday February 23, 2023, the Archons of the Tampa Bay area held a presentation from visiting Archon Nick Larigakis, Executive Director of the American Hellenic Institute, entitled “Greece, Cyprus and Turkey at a Crossroads: The Importance of U.S Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
The event was co-sponsored by the Greek Federation (Omospondia) of Florida and Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Clearwater, FL. More than two hundred people attended including special guests, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, and Rhode Island state senator Lou Raptakis. Mr. Larigakis outlined the importance of Greece and Cyprus as U.S allies and the historically unreliable relationship with Turkey. Both Archon Larigakis and Host, Regional Commander Dr. Theodore Vlahos outlined the relationship between the events in the Eastern Mediterranean and our religious freedom as Orthodox Christians in America through the repercussions upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Archons, through Regional Commander Dr. Vlahos, presented the Honorable Anna Paulina Luna, Congresswoman of District 13 with tokens of their appreciation including an icon of the Theotokos and an olive wood “komboskini” from the Holy Land. Visiting Archon dignitaries included Dr. Nick Loutsion, National Council member and fellow Florida Regional Commander John Scurtis.