December 27th, 2012. Cherry Hill, NJ. Just a few days after Christmas, the members of the Kali Parea (seniors), the Ladies Philoptohos and Senior Citizens of St. Thomas church all came together for a bit of fun and reminiscing.
More than 80 members of the St. Thomas parish gathered this past Thursday where awards were given out recognizing years of service to the church and their community. Following the awards and lunch, Harry Karapalides (of Atlantis) and George Giordas (formally of George Giordas Orchestra) combined their more than 3 generations of musical talent for the crowed, playing Greek and American music.
Karapalides pulled out the accordian he started on more than 40 years ago and was accompanied by his mentor Giordas on bouzouki. Smiling faces filled the room and hands came together clapping through tunes through out the afternoon.
The St. Thomas community recently celebrated another milestone by breaking ground and expanding on their facility. A new senior housing project is being builit and is scheduled to be finished in 2015.