US embassy cable - 05ATHENS2887

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 002887 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR, EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, GR, EVENTS 
SUBJECT: BENEFIT CONCERT FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS 
SHOWCASES GREEK GENEROSITY 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: A November 2 benefit concert at the Athens main 
concert hall raised tens of thousands of Euros, all of which 
will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity organization in 
the U.S. to rebuild homes in the areas devastated by 
Hurricane Katrina.  The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, in 
cooperation with the local Habitat affiliate (Friends of 
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Athens) and the Pan-Hellenic 
Women's Association, worked together with members of the 
Embassy community to plan an evening of jazz as a tribute to 
New Orleans.  The concert, entitled "New Orleans, I send you 
a message" and attended by approximately 1,700 people, 
featured renowned American and Greek performers.  Ticket 
sales raised tens of thousands of Euros, and a bank account 
was established to continue to receive donations through 
December 31, 2005.  A tremendous success, the concert was a 
characteristic display of the Greek trait of pride in helping 
others ("filotimo" in Greek), and showcased the deep and 
enduring ties between America and Greece.  The Embassy was 
pleased to have helped shape and facilitate the two months of 
planning that went into the event.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, several prominent 
Greeks and Greek-Americans expressed a strong desire to help 
victims of the disaster as a gesture of friendship and 
goodwill.  A jazz benefit concert to pay tribute to the city 
of New Orleans was suggested, and the President of the 
Pan-Hellenic Women's Association's Panathinaiki chapter and 
honorary citizen of the city of New Orleans, Mrs. Angela 
Daifa-Frantzeskaki, started a committee to organize such an 
event.  Ambassador encouraged the idea, and the committee 
obtained 50,000 Euros from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to 
pay the costs of renting the concert hall, the artists' fees, 
publicity, printing, and other expenses.  The Friends of 
Habitat for Humanity, Greater Athens also became involved, 
and arrangements were made for concert proceeds to assist the 
American chapter of Habitat for Humanity to rebuild homes in 
the areas devastated by the hurricane.  Ambassador offered 
his support to the organizing committee by hosting a November 
1 pre-concert reception at his residence for the organizers, 
sponsors and artists.  Embassy Public Affairs also arranged 
for U.S. Jazz Ambassador Deborah Davis, along with her group 
"A Few Good Men," to headline the performance, with the 
Niarchos Foundation covering all the costs. 
 
3. On the night of November 2, an audience of around 1,700 
gathered at the Megaron Moussikis Concert Hall in downtown 
Athens to hear a superb evening of jazz music.  Ambassador 
was the guest of honor, and messages of appreciation were 
included in the program from former U.S. President and 
founding member of Habitat for Humanity, Jimmy Carter, and 
former U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Thomas J. Miller.  Several 
prominent Greeks were in attendance, including Minister of 
Economy, George Alogoskoufis, the spouses of the Ministers of 
the Interior and of Foreign Affairs, a representative of 
Athens Mayor Bakoyiannis, Athens Vice Mayor Tonia 
Kanelopoulou, a representative of the archbishop, Father 
Iokovos Byzaourtis, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, George Koumoutsakos, the Secretary General of the 
Ministry of Health and president of Special Olympics Hellas, 
Yianna Despotopoulou, and the spouse of the Honorary 
President of New Democracy, Mrs. Marika Mitsotakis.  Many 
members of the embassy community and students of American 
universities in Greece (mostly Greek) also purchased tickets 
and attended the concert. 
 
4. Committee Chairwoman Vana Lavida and the Pan-Hellenic 
Women's Association's Angela Daifa-Frantzeskaki gave short, 
moving speeches before the performance to remind the crowd of 
the dire need still being felt in and around New Orleans, and 
expressing appreciation for the compassion of the sponsors, 
concert-goers and performers.  Greek saxophonist Dimitris 
Vasilakis and his trio opened the musical section of the 
program, and were followed by Greek soprano, Jenny Drivala, 
who sang jazz standards.  The second act featured headliner 
Deborah Davis and her band ("A Few Good Men"), who rocked the 
hall with New Orleans jazz favorites, such as "When The 
Saints Go Marching In."  The evening ended with a bang as two 
well-known Greek piano prodigies, George Hatzinassios and 
Stefanos Korkolis, played a lively two-piano version of 
Gershwin tunes, among other show songs.  Each act was 
preceeded by a short video, illustrating the devastation 
wrought by Katrina and the commitment of Habitat for Humanity 
to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. 
 
5. The event would not have been made possible without the 
support and generosity of several key individuals and 
organizations.  The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the 
Pan-Hellenic Women's Association Panathinaiki and its 
president, Angela Daifa-Frantzeskaki, and Friends of Habitat 
for Humanity, Greater Athens were all crucial players as 
event organizers.  The Megaron Moussikis was kind enough to 
offer their facilities at a discounted price.  A Greek owner 
of a medical supply firm, Nick Papapostolou, purchased 10,000 
dollars in tickets for the event, and Artistic Director of 
the Hellenic Festival, Yiannis Karahisarides, took on the 
project free of charge.  Press coverage of the concert helped 
boost ticket sales and publicized the concert's success, and 
of course the volunteer efforts of many Greek community 
members, embassy employees, and the event performers were 
invaluable. 
 
6. The Embassy considered the concert a great success, not 
only in terms of money raised but of showcasing the enduring 
ties between our two nations.  The ability to put on a 
successful event of such magnitude in only two months time 
speaks to the dedication and outstanding volunteer work of 
members of Greek philanthropic societies and of the Embassy 
community.  The concert alone raised tens of thousands of 
Euros in ticket sales, and a bank account set up by the 
Pan-Hellenic Women's Association will continue to receive 
donations through December 31, 2005.  The money raised by the 
concert and subsequent donations to the account will go 
entirely to the American chapter of Habitat for Humanity to 
help fund the rebuilding of homes in the poorest sections of 
the hurricane-devastated areas.  The Greek sense of pride in 
helping others, known in Greek as "filotimo," will therefore 
help the victims of Hurricane Katrina for years to come, as 
they rebuild their homes and their lives in New Orleans and 
across the Gulf Coast. 
RIES