On Saturday 19th November 2022, on a chilly evening in West London, a mixture of the usual attendees and many new faces descended on The Royal Lancaster hotel to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Oinoussai Benevolent Fund at The Oinoussian Ball 2022.
The Nine Kings Suite Ballroom was tastefully decorated with floating balloons and dazzling lights as the guests took their places at their tables. There were about 350 people from London, Athens, Oinousses and Switzerland and a third of those were under 30 year old and their youthful spirit brought a vibrant energy to the proceedings.
The OBF president John M. Hadjipateras (pictured above) spoke eloquently and movingly as he recounted eight decades of altruism and gave thanks not only to the past presidents but also to all those who served tirelessly on the executive committees through the years. The presence of so many young supporters encouraged his vision for the next generation to take the Fund forward to face the challenges of an ever-changing world. He quoted the late HM Queen Elizabeth II who said: “The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future”.
There followed an address by the Right Honourable Minister of Migration and Asylum for Greece and MP for Chios, Mr Notis Mitarachis who praised the OBF with its rich history and presented Mr John M. Hadjipateras with a ceremonial government medal.
The three-course meal consisted of beef carpaccio, seared seabass fillet and a dessert of red fruits bavarois followed by coffee and petits fours.
The entertainment this year was a combination of live music along with their resident DJ Avgoustinos Galiassos who was celebrating a decade of association with this annual event. The band, ‘The London Greek Collective’, headed by Pavlos Melas included a bouzouki, clarino, violin and a supremely talented young singer called Stavroula Esambalidi who is a rising star of folk music in Greece. The show comprised of a musical journey around the islands of the North Aegean and culminated in songs from Oinoussai. When they played the traditional Oinoussian wedding song, the Mayor of Oinousses Mr George Daniil, invited to attend by OBF, jumped from his seat onto the dance floor with great happiness and emotion.
The usual masticha liqueur shots were handed out to quench the thirst of those who had packed the dance floor and at midnight, the raffle draw results were announced by George T. Lemos with his customary humour and self-deprecation. Twenty fabulous prizes were won equally around the room. There was even a silent auction this year with four terrific prizes. The winners will be announced in due course.
The photo booth provided a pleasant distraction and the party continued until the lights came up at 2am when people reluctantly made their way home carrying gifts from Carpo and a souvenir notebook with the OBF logo.
We congratulate the OBF entertainment committee and executive committee members for organizing another memorable event and wish them continued success for the next twenty years and beyond.
