for First Gabby Awards
Shining Night that Honored "Greek America's Best and Brightest" at a
Hollywood-style Awards Show and After Party
(June 19, 2009 – Chicago, IL) In an evening that will go down in history as the single largest gathering of talented and successful Greek Americans ever assembled in the same room together, over 1200 people descended upon the Windy City from all corners of the country and world for the first Gabby Awards–together to celebrate "Greek America's Best and Brightest Stars."
The event, which attracted people from 28 states and three foreign countries was sold out with a wait list exceeding 600 people hoping to get in to the "event of our generation," as several participants called it.
The nomination process began with an 85-member "academy" of nominators whose votes resulted in the top five in each category and followed with a voting-enabled website which logged over 100,000 votes–the results of which were counted and tabulated by an independent auditing firm.
Eight awards were handed out, along with one Lifetime Achievement award at an event that opened with an emotionally charged awards show at a historic Chicago Theater and closed with an explosive after party that included song and dance well into the early hours of the following morning.
The event opened with Glykeria, one of Greece's biggest-selling female vocalists, singing an emotional song called "Diaspora" that told of the trials and tribulations of immigrants leaving the mother country for new lands. In the background, a specially-produced video rolled on a giant screen that showed rare archival footage and images relevant to the song, including a stunning 4-second clip of Greek immigrants crossing themselves and kissing the ground with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
"There wasn't a dry eye in the theater," noted Melina Kanakaredes, who served the event as the Honorary Co-Chair, along with internationally acclaimed fashion designer John Varvatos, both of whom addressed the crowd and spoke of their dedication to the Greek America Foundation, the charity hosting the event.
What followed was a well-orchestrated show, complete with laughing and crying, exciting graphic elements and various multi-media on screen that made one feel that they were at a Hollywood awards show, led by Chicago's own Emmy Award winning television newscaster Anna Davlantes from NBC5.
Selected to present the awards were individuals with a relevance to the category that they were presenting. These people–who traveled from throughout the United States and the world to participate, added their own personal stories to their opening remarks that further enhanced the event. The winners received a precious statuette, designed and made by hand by Greek jewelry designer Konstantino, made of gold, silver and precious stones with rich symbolism of ancient, Byzantine and modern Greek elements.
The Business & Entrepreneurism Award was won by Boston-based businessman George Sakellaris, known as the leader of the "Green revolution" in this country. His company, Ameresco, is the largest independent provider of renewable energy solutions in the country. This award was presented by Dennis Malamatinas, Chief Executive Officer of Marfin Investment Group of Greece, who recalled his days as a student at the University of Chicago many years earlier.
The Arts & Culture Award was won by Harry Mark Petrakis, the Indiana-based author of dozens of books, including "Shepherd of the Shadows," the recent sequel to a popular 1970s book about the Greek Revolution of 1821. This award was presented by New York native Kalomira Sarantis, winner of Greece's "Fame Story" reality talent show and finalist in the 2008 Eurovision Song Competition. In his acceptance remarks, the octogenarian made the audience laugh, reminding them that "too much praise during one's life leaves little for one's eulogy."
Jim Gianopulos–Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Films presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Oscar winning actress Olympia Dukakis. In an emotional speech, which recalled the struggles of her parents to raise her in a working class, Greek neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts, the actress cried openly while she thanked her parents for their sacrifices.
The Athletics Award was won by ultramarathon man endurance runner and best-selling author Dean Karnazes who bolted to the stage in his tuxedo and running shoes to share his inspirational story about how he became an ultramarathon man and one of Time Magazine's Top 100 most important people in the world. This award was presented by U.S. Olympian and national champion diver Christina Loukas.
The Education and Academia Award was given posthumously to the late Dr. Constantine Papadakis, who transformed Drexel University in Philadelphia into a global leader in research and education. That award was presented by Dr. David Horner, President of the American College of Greece and was accepted by Maria Papadakis on behalf of her late father.
On hand to accept the award for the Promotion of Hellenism was Carlos Picon, Curator in Charge at the famed Greek Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which showcase one of the world's most important collections of Greek antiquities and welcome millions of people annually. This award was presented by Oscar winning filmmaker and HBO President Kary Antholis.
Replicating a moment from their recent film "My Life in Ruins" Nia Vardalos joined Greek actor Alexis Georgoulis on stage with a flower in hand, to present the Performing Arts Award to television actress Melina Kanakaredes, who was overcome with emotion when speaking about the importance of receiving an award that was bestowed upon her by her own people.
Brothers Mike and Tom from the politically connected Manatos family of Washington DC presented the Politics Award to hometown favorite Alexi Giannoulias. The Illinois State Treasurer and the rising star of U.S. politics received a rousing round of applause as he was introduced as a potential candidate for the United States Senate.
Gregory Pappas, Gabby Awards founder and publisher of Greek America Magazine, the host of the event, presented the Philanthropy Award, the final award of the evening, to Pittsburgh billionaire businessman John Rangos, whose philanthropic outreach approaches $100 million to dozens of universities, institutions, hospitals and research centers throughout the nation. On hand to accept the award on his behalf were his grandchildren Nicholas and Virginia Rangos. It was a symbolic moment of the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.
The awards show included interesting sponsor messages and vivid images throughout the evening on a giant screen that served as the show's backdrop. Video spots included messages from Chicago 2016, the organization hoping to win the 2016 Summer Games and the American College of Greece. The Costa Navarino resort, which offered all Gabby Awards guests a certificate worth one free room night, also gave attendees a glimpse into the new resort in southwestern Greece that they are opening next year. See photos from the Awards Show here.
The awards show closed with a montage of Hollywood films that featured Greek song and dance including Never on a Sunday and Zorba the Greek on the giant screen, followed by a ten-minute sing-along with Glykeria and Kostas Karafotis, with a video montage in the background produced by the Greek National Tourist Organization and the Greek Ministry of Tourism, which featured stunning imagery of Greece while the two singers and the crowd of 1200 people sang traditional songs in anticipation of the After Party that would follow next door in the Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom.
Immediately after the awards show, there was a Hollywood style Red Carpet walk, where all of the evening's winners and celebrities were interviewed by local, national and international media, while hundreds of on-lookers flashed camera phones and screamed for their favorite celebrities. All of Chicago's local news networks, as well as national outlets from New York and Los Angeles, and several channels from Greece covered the event. See photos from the Red Carpet here.
Cocktails and appetizers followed in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton, which included a station featuring Bon Appétit Magazine chef of the year Michael Psilakis from New York City, who dished out some unique appetizers, while onlookers and fans snapped photos of him. A silent auction kept people busy, bidding on items like Hollywood set visits with Melina Kanakaredes, jewelry by Konstantino and luxurious hotel packages that were donated by Starwood Hotels in Greece.
Dinner was served in the lavishly decorated International Ballroom and was followed by an explosive performance by Glykeria and Kostas Karafotis, who kept the crowd on their feet all night long. See photos from the After Party here.
Dozens of celebrities and VIPs who attended the event mingled with the crowd and snapped photos with fans in one of the most celebratory and festive environments ever experienced by people, including a moment that captured everyone's attention when Fox Films CEO Jim Gianopulos jumped on stage to share a zeibekiko dance with actress Melina Kanakaredes, while Glykeria serenaded them with her soulful voice.
Proceeds from the Gabby Awards will benefit the Greek America Foundation's newly established Hellenic Legacy Fund, an endowment fund that will sponsor scholarships for students to study abroad in Greece. For more information about our charity or to donate via our secure donation site, click here.
See our updated webpage with photos and highlights from the "event of our lifetime".
Also, visit our Shutterfly webpage to see hundreds more photos from the Awards Show, the Red Carpet and the After Party.
