2022 - SEPTEMBER - FAREWELL TO AMBASSADOR ALLEN

FAREWELL GIFT FOR AMBASSADOR - in the presence of Canadian ambassador

Sadly, FoC bids a fond farewell to Canadian Ambassador Mark Allen, who ends his term here in Greece; we wish him every success.
In 2019, we started out with a great collaboration, watching him learn how to slice a New Year’s vassilopita, first at our FoC event in Athens, and then in Thessaloniki at the Consular Information Session we co-hosted with the Consulate of Canada in Thessaloniki. We then enjoyed his good-spirited participation at our Informal Canada Day Celebration in Athens in July.

But the Covid-19 pandemic soon struck, making events at first impossible, and then very difficult. However, under the inspiration of the ambassador, in 2021, we did manage to collaborate with the embassy to present an online Café Canada in Greece (CCG) event - a consular information session giving several members of the embassy staff the opportunity to reach out to the public.
We want to thank Ambassador Allen (photograph, center) for all of the moments he was present for the local community. It means so much to people, and not just to Canadians, to have face-to-face contact with embassy staff – we no longer feel like ships adrift….
As a small token of our gratitude, FoC presented a farewell gift for him and Jeff Peet - A ‘Dance your dreams' print from Greek artist and FoC member Lila Koufopoulou (studio owner at Fine Arts Creations for Transformation & Wellbeing, https://www.lilakoufopoulou.com/?fbclid=IwAR2mGlKDm_X8IwPfQqI3G51mOMsRhWHO7iutYf1KJygnwVgEXSKaVVmlNuk).
FoC also thanks the Canadian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and its president, Konstantinos E. Katsigiannis, (photograph, left) for inviting FoC to make the presentation at the Chamber’s small farewell reception for the ambassador at the Vorres Museum on September 12.

EVENT PHOTOS
GO TO PHOTO GALLERY >
Thanks to John Coutsocostas and Zoe Delibasis for taking the photos!

--Kathryn Lukey-Coutsocostas, FoC coordinator (photograph, right)