The Hellenic Initiative's 2nd Annual Banquet Raises More Than $2 Million

~ Event honored George D. Behrakis, John Pappajohn, and Peter G. Peterson

~~Arianna Huffington Acted as Master of Ceremonies

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Oct 03, 2014, 09:01 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hellenic Initiative's (THI) Second Annual Banquet on Thursday night raised $2.293 million, making it one of the most successful fundraising initiatives ever within the Greek-American community. Focused on the theme, "Investing in the Future of Greece," the banquet was attended by several Greek government representatives, including Notis Mitarachi, Vice Minister for Development & Competitiveness and Greek Ambassador to the United States, Christos Panagopoulos, as well as prominent members of the Greek-American community, including master of ceremonies Arianna Huffington, Ambassador John Negroponte, and several newly appointed Board members.

Mary and John Pappajohn, Margo and George Behrakis and Andrew N. and Paula Liveris at The Hellenic Initiative's 2nd Annual Gala at The Museum of Modern Art. (PRNewsFoto/The Hellenic Initiative) (PRNewsFoto/The Hellenic Initiative)

Ariana Huffington and Andrew N. Liveris at The Hellenic Initiative's 2nd Annual Gala at The Museum of Modern Art. (PRNewsFoto/The Hellenic Initiative) (PRNewsFoto/The Hellenic Initiative)

The event honored three outstanding individuals for their lifetime of entrepreneurship and philanthropy: George D. Behrakis, Founder, The Behrakis Foundation; John Pappajohn, Founder, Pappajohn Capital Resources; and Peter G. Peterson, Founder and Chairman, Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

THI also reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of a culture of entrepreneurship in Greece with a $500k contribution and $500k match from THI to expand upon its current entrepreneurial programs. This program will strengthen THI's efforts to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses ideas.

Since its founding in 2012 by Andrew N. Liveris, Muhtar Kent, George David, George M. Logothetis, and George Stamas, The Hellenic Initiative has seen significant growth both in scale and in the support offered by the Greek diaspora and by individual and corporate sponsors. In the past year, the organization has supported Greek startups with its second annual Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award, contributed over $1.6 million to programs focused on Crisis Relief, created 50 paid internships through ReGeneration, and developed a visionary and aggressive set of programs focused on ensuring a strong future for Greece.

About The Hellenic Initiative:

The Hellenic Initiative (THI) is a global, nonprofit and non-governmental institution, whose vision is to mobilize the Greek diaspora and the philhellene community to invest in the future of Greece through programs focused on crisis relief, entrepreneurship and economic development:

Crisis relief – supporting high impact non-profit organizations that are providing a critical safety net to families affected by the economic crisis.
Entrepreneurship – building a new generation of business and civic leaders and helping them nurture good ideas into viable businesses and social ventures.
Economic development – mobilizing investment capital to get Greece's economy moving again while charting a path to long-term prosperity.

Oli Mazi – All Together we can ensure an enduring, high quality of life for the people of Greece. Let us do it now, and let us do it all together.

Visit our website: http://www.TheHellenicInitiative.org/

http://onegreece.org

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thehellenicinitiative

Follow us on Twitter: @THI_OneGreece

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141003/150144

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141003/150143

SOURCE The Hellenic Initiative