Greek National Defense Minister Panos Kammenos is expected to represent the government in this year’s Greek Diaspora events for the celebration of Greek Independence Day on March 25. The Minister will be present in various events, including the grand parade on 5th Avenue in Manhattan that will take place on Sunday, March 29.
On March 28, Kammenos, along with city officials, will also attend a ceremony in which a part of 33rd Street in Astoria -near the Greek Orthodox St. Catherine church- will take the name of the late Archbishop Iakovos of America.
The ceremony coincides with the tenth anniversary since the death of Archbishop Iakovos, who passed away on April 10, 2005, at the age of 93, and the 50th anniversary since he participated with Martin Luther King at the antiracist march in Selma, Alabama.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo will be the Grand Marshal in this year’s Greek Independence Day parade. The governor’s family has always had close relations with Greek Diaspora members, while he always supports Greek issues, noted Federation of Hellenic-American Societies of Greater New York president Petros Galatoulas. “Cuomo helped rebuild the ruined church of St. Nicholas at the World Trade Center in Manhattan,” he added.
Furthermore, Greek-American businessman John Calamos, as well as Helen and John Psaras, will also be this year’s Grand Marshals because of their charity and social work for the Greek-American community and Greece.
In the evening of March 28, the annual dinner event will take place at a Manhattan hotel to honor the parade’s Grand Marshals and sponsors.
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