Sixteen Greek Australians have been recognised for their services to multiculturalism and their community at the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence. The thirteen individual recipients of the Meritorious Service to the Community Award included: Kyriacos Barackas for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Cypriot community of Melbourne; Konstantinos Deves, for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne; Theo Emmanouilidis for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne; Jacob Fronistas OAM, for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne; Diana Kalmnake for her outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Northcote; Voula Kanelopoulos for her outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Mildura; Constantine Karavitis JP for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne; Christos Kastis for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne; Constantinos Katsoulis for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne; Nina Koutsomitis for her outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Broadmeadows; Steve Mangos for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek Florian community of Melbourne; and Constantine Mastoris for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Greek community of Melbourne.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Whittlesea Women’s Group received the organisations Meritorious Service to the Community Award.
Three Greek Australians received the Service Delivery to Multicultural Victoria Award. They included: Anastasia Kordaris for Community Services and her tireless work at Fronditha Care; Kostas Paterakis for Media for serving the Greek community for 15 years as a radio host on 3XY; and Kanela Vlahogeorgos for Community Services for contribution of the formation of the Victorian Greek / Australian Elderly Citizens Group.
The 2012 Multicultural Awards for Excellence recognised over 100 individuals, community organisations and service providers at a ceremony held on Wednesday night at Government House. The Awards, presented by the Victorian Multicultural Commission and hosted by His Excellency the Honourable Alex Chernov AC QC, Governor of Victoria, were attended by the Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu MLA and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Nicholas Kotsiras MLA.
Mr Kotsiras said that Victoria’s success and harmony in multiculturalism “would not be possible without the contribution and hard work of so many individuals, community organisations and service providers”.