The Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce organized the Vasilopita 2026 in collaboration with 21 Hellenic-American and Cypriot-American organizations and 5 youth organizations

A celebration of unity within the Hellenic-American and Cypriot-American community in New York

New York, NY – January 30, 2026 —

Under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in New York, the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce (HACC) proudly organized Vasilopita 2026, a distinguished celebration of tradition, unity, and collaboration, bringing together Greek-American and Cypriot-American organizations from across the community.

Held at Chiotes Hall in New York City, the evening featured the traditional cutting of the Vasilopita and welcomed leaders representing business, professional, cultural, educational, civic, youth, and student organizations—highlighting the strength, continuity, and vibrancy of the Hellenic diaspora.

Ms. Eftihia Pylarinou-Piper, President of the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce, welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and the distinguished guests in attendance, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Giorgos Gerapetritis, Secretary General for the Greek Diaspora Ms. Maira Myrogianni, Ambassador of Greece to the United Nations Ms. Aglaia Balta, Ambassador of Cyprus to the United Nations Ms. Maria Michail, Consul General of Greece in New York Ms. Ifigenia Kanara, as well as Mr. John Catsimatidis, whom she thanked for his generous and continued support of Greek organizations throughout the year.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, a strong supporter of the annual event, offered the blessing of the Vasilopita and personally handed pieces of the pie to attendees, reinforcing the spiritual roots and shared values of the community.

The event was organized by HACC in close partnership with an exceptional coalition of organizations, represented by their leadership:

• Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce (HACC) – Eftihia Pylarinou-Piper, President
• Cyprus U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Demetri Comodromos, President
• Leadership 100 – Paulette Poulos, Executive Director
• AHEPA – Paul Pavlakos, President
• Hellenic American Association for Professionals in Finance (HABA) – Costas Kellas, Chair
• Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) – Tasos Pardalis,Vice Chairmen
• Hellenic Lawyers Association (HLA) – George Zapantis, Chairman
• Hellenic Medical Society of New York (HMSNY) – Dr. Antonios Gasparis, President
• East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance (EMBCA) – Lou Katsos, President
• Federation of Cypriot American Organizations –Despina Axiotakis, Vice President
• Federation of Greek-American Educators – Stella Kokolis, President
• Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York – Lou Katsos, Chairman
• Hellenic American Cultural Foundation (HACF) – Nick Kouridis, Chairman
• Hellenic Congress of America – Nick Tavantzis, President
• Hellenic Federation of New Jersey – Panos Stavrianidis, Ph.D., President
• Hellenic Professional Women (HPW) – Dr. Evelyn Bilias-Lolis, President
• Hermes Expo International – Paul Kotrotsios, President
• National Hellenic Society (NHS) – Art Dimopoulos, Executive Director
• International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA) – Philip Christopher, President
• Pan Gregorian Enterprises of Metro New York and Long Island – Demetri Kafchitsas President
• NYPD St. Paul’s Society – Dina Bantounas, Vice President
• HACC Innovators – Alexander Constantin, President
• Cypriot Young Professionals – Maria Christodoulou, President
• National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) – Kostas Ouranitsas, Chairman
• Intercollegiate Hellenic Society Global (IHSG) – Margarita Skourlis, Chairman
• Philo4Thought – Chris Salboudis, Founding CEO

In her welcoming remarks, HACC President Eftihia Pylarinou-Piper emphasized that this gathering serves as a special opportunity to come together as a community, honor shared traditions, and look ahead to a year filled with hope, health, and success.

Following her remarks, each participating organization had the opportunity to extend its New Year wishes through pre-recorded messages played during the event.

In his address, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Giorgos Gerapetritis thanked the organizers for bringing together such a broad spectrum of Greek-American and Cypriot organizations and youth groups, noting that unity is a source of strength.

He highlighted the significance of the day for three reasons:

1. It marked the feast day of the Three Hierarchs, underscoring the importance of education and culture as the foundation of the Greek spirit.
2. A new vote at the United Nations Security Council renewed the mandate on Cyprus and adopted a resolution calling on all parties to actively engage in resolving the Cyprus issue. The reunification of Cyprus remains a top priority for the Greek government.
3. It marked an important day for the Greek Diaspora, as new legislation has been drafted and released for public consultation, granting Greeks abroad the right to vote by mail in general elections and to elect three representatives of the Diaspora to the Hellenic Parliament.

During the evening there was an announcement of the Grand Marshals of the 2026 Greek Independence Day Parade John Catsimatidis, Founder and Chairman of the Red Apple Group, and Dr. Nicholas Tsakos, Founder and CEO of TEN Ltd. (Tsakos Energy Navigation), both Advisory Board members of HACC. The Hellenic Initiative (THI) and Capital Link with Board Member of HACC Olga Bornozi will also be honored.

The Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce extends its sincere appreciation to its sponsors Alma Bank and Flagstar Bank, members of the HACC Board, for their support of this event. The Chamber also warmly thanks Greek Express, Pan Gregorian, Pie Bakery, Zagori, and Mylos Entertainment for their valued contributions and for bringing true kefi to the celebration.

The evening concluded with a very successful and a fun Young Innovators After-Party, reinforcing HACC’s commitment to engaging and empowering the next generation of leaders.

The Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce thanked all participating organizations, their representatives, sponsors, and guests for making Vasilopita 2026 a meaningful and memorable start to the new year.