The Central Pontian Association of Melbourne & Victoria ‘Pontiaki Estia’ honoured its 49th anniversary with a grand celebration on Saturday, nearly five decades of uninterrupted struggle for the preservation and promotion of the Hellenic culture of the Black Sea.
The event was held at the organisation’s hall and featured the attendance of numerous members of our community, including Litsa Athanasiadis, President of The Merimna of Pontian Ladies of Oceania, Roma Siachos, President of the Maria Callas Society, Katy Karabatsos, Secretary of the Society of Kalamata 23rd March Melbourne, Dean Kalimniou, speaker of the annual lecture on the Pontian Greek genocide, and Olga Kydoni, the announcer of the Pontic broadcast of 3XY.
Parents and children began to arrive early, as they were the main contributors to the evening.
The board of directors, headed by Kostas Tseprailidis, organized a perfect traditional evening in terms of entertainment and spectacle.
The program was opened by the club’s youngest lyre player, Petros Tsombanopoulos, who accompanied his father Dimitris Tsombanopoulos in singing with the accompaniment of Alexandros Pilalidis’ davul drum.
The baton was then taken by the brothers Nikos and Kostas Psychogios, the first singing and the second on the lyre.
The acclaimed musician Giorgos Bletas, in his performance of the modern Greek song, kept the temperature of the entertainment at a very high level.
Nikos Piltikidis, originally from Alonakia, Kozani and now a resident of Adelaide, was the guest artist for this year and truly amazed those present with his experiential depth and sweet voice.
For yet another year, the dance classes of ‘Pontiaki Estia’ proved that they are rightfully ranked among the top in Australia.
From the youngest dancer to the oldest, they gave the promise, with passion, love, seriousness, and discipline, that they will, no matter what, will flourish and bring more.
The Central Pontian Association of Melbourne and Victoria would like to thank the following families for their great financial support at our event this year.
- Kyvelidis Kostas. $ 3500
- Saristavrou Kostas $ 1500
- Pavlidis Athanassiou $ 500
- The Merimna of Pontian Ladies of Oceania Charity $1000 and the Pontiaki Estia Youth $1000.
Also to all the parents of the children in the dance departments, the dance teachers Parthena Tsombanopoulou, Michalis Vasiliou, Daphne Gika, Xenophonta Parfali, as well as the musicians Stefanos Levoyiannis, Konstantinos Kostidis, Alexandros Pilalidis, Dimitris and Petros Tsombanopoulos, Nikos and Kostas Psychogios for their enormous effort, passion, love, their selfless contribution and the creation of this huge, beautiful cultural family.
More photos below:
