The annual Evening in Greece (EIG), a fundraiser for St. Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox Church, returns for its 33rd year and will be held from 5:30 to 10:30 pm on Saturday, October 19th. EIG will be held at the Veterans Hall, 801 Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo. This family- friendly event has been St. Andrew’s way of showing the community the true meaning of Greek culture and hospitality.
A limited number of tickets is available, so be sure to order your tickets now, as this popular event repeatedly sells out. Ticket costs include $90 for adults, $35 for students or children, or $795 for a reserved table of 8 (preferred seating with 2 bottles of premium wine). Tickets can be purchased by either calling 805-546-8337 or by going to my805tix.com/events/EIG (a nominal fee is charged for tickets purchased online). There are also Sponsorship opportunities available for both businesses and individuals. For more information, go to greekfestivalslo.com/eigsponsorship.
Make sure to bring both your appetite and your dancing shoes! Besides an authentic Greek dinner, which includes succulent lamb, there will also be Greek appetizers and dessert. And Dr. Paul Georghiou, EIG’s Master of Ceremonies, will be leading guests in dance lessons, so everyone can join in the fun on the dance floor. A full cash bar, which includes traditional Greek spirits Ouzo and Metaxa, will be available, as well as some surprise Greek specialty drinks!
EIG guests will witness a variety of traditional Greek dances performed by costumed dancers from San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Bakersfield and listen to the lively tunes of Mythos, a professional Greek band from San Jose. A silent auction, sale of Greek pastries, and raffle prizes will round out the evening.
As previously mentioned, Evening in Greece is a fundraiser for Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church. “St. Andrew is a small community looking to do big things,” says Michele Cantrell, chair of EIG. This event will help St. Andrew provide for the community outreach programs that St. Andrew’s supports. Outreach programs supported by St. Andrew are the SLO Noor Foundation, 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, the SLO County Foodbank, Kids ‘n Cancer, Cal Poly Students Orthodox Christian Fellowship, and The Angel Tree.
These outreach programs play a critical role in helping those in need. The SLO Noor Foundation’s mission is to provide free medical, dental and vision services to uninsured adults in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration, religious, or socioeconomic status. Saint Andrew’s also works to support 40 Prado Homeless Services Center by purchasing, preparing and serving a hot breakfast to about 150 individuals monthly at 40 Prado. The parish supports the SLO County Foodbank with a food drive annually; as well as Kids ‘n Cancer, where it helps send children and their families to a week-long summer camp. The Angel Tree outreach is a program of Prison Fellowship that connects parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts. Through Angel Tree, Saint Andrew’s receives the names and gift wishes of 25+ local children who have an incarcerated parent. This rewarding program delivers not only a gift, but also a Christmas message from the parent to the child. Through this process, the connection is being kept alive between parent and child and helping express the love they share for each other.
And St. Andrew’s also reaches out to students at Cal Poly. These students are members of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), which guides and supports fellowships on college campuses for Orthodox students and others interested in Orthodoxy. OCF students are welcomed as part of the St. Andrew parish family, which provides a home away from home for them. OCF students also contribute to St. Andrew’s outreach programs with their talents.
St. Andrew’s parish is looking for energetic and reliable volunteers to help out with Evening in Greece. If you would like to get involved, please send an email to: [email protected]
OPA!
For more information, visit our website at GreekFestivalSLO.com/eveningingreece.
Press relations or sponsorship information: Please contact Michele Cantrell at [email protected] or 805-546-8337.