A full year has gone by and yet the hurt of Emmanuel Alfieris’ death has not subsided, with the loss of an esteemed member of our community still being felt today.
Among the many ‘homes’ that Alfieris came to be part of was the Greek-Australian Society (GAS), an organisation for which he served as a member and as a mentor with the aim of helping guide young individuals towards success.
GAS has made it a personal mission to ensure his legacy lives on, introducing the Emmanuel Alfieris Award as an honour to be awarded annually to a mentee who has shown initiative, growth, and a genuine commitment to our Greek-Australian community.
GAS put out a message in honour of their fallen mentor one year on from his passing which reads as follows:
“Emmanuel Alfieris was the best of us.
When asked to become an inaugural Mentor on the GAS Mentoring Program in 2021, he accepted because he believed in our community, he believed in our cause and he believed in us.
Through his generosity, he became GAS Member #0001.
Through GAS, he mentored young Greek-Australians, supported our initiatives and encouraged us to build a new and better paradigm for our community.
He spoke softly, but with an authority that reflected his experience and his values.
He shared openly, but with a nuance that offered perspective and meaning.
He gave of himself, with purpose to elevate everything and everyone around him.
His passing was tragic and left us heartbroken.
Amidst our grief, and alongside the Kytherian Association of Australia, GAS was proud to successfully nominate Manny for the NSW Multicultural Honour Roll, and he was inducted at the Premier’s Harmony Dinner in March.
And from this year forth, GAS will honour Manny’s memory by awarding the annual Emmanuel Alfieris Award.
This Award will be presented at the conclusion of the GAS Mentoring Program each year to a mentee who has shown initiative, growth, and a genuine commitment to our Greek-Australian community.
Our thoughts remain with his wife Louise, his children, his brother Nick and all the extended Alfieris family.
O Θεός να τον αναπαύσει. Aς είναι ελαφρύ το χώμα που τον σκεπάζει. Αιωνία του η μνήμη.”
