NEW YORK – The United Greek Americans celebrated the holidays in Times Square during a weekend that included a Friday Greek night featuring Giannis Sofillas live at Proper West, and the 3rd Annual Red Party at McGettigan’s in the neighborhood of Midtown.
UGA was launched a decade ago by Deano Kastis, “as a way for our ‘parea’ to get together,” he said. Today, the group’s mission is to bring together Greeks in the U.S. and Canada under one roof for socializing three times a year with Christmas in New York, Memorial Day Weekend in Clearwater Beach, and Labor Day Weekend in Chicago.
Aside from serving as a large get-together and party scene, UGA offers academic scholarships to students of Hellenic descent studying in the U.S. The Eva Dossa Hellenic Scholarship is granted to students in honor of Kastis’ grandmother.
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WORDS: Portes Magazine
PHOTOS: G J Beck Photography