Cherry Hill, NJ – A long life and a party that lasts through the night. Ikarians have a reputation for living life to it’s fullest. On Saturday evening at the Danielle Kousoulis Center, the proved it again. The Pan-Icarian Brotherhood “Atheras”, hosted their annual dinner dance where they kept the party going on night long. Following an opening prayer to kick off the dance, Father Christoforos Oikonomidis asked, “as long as you folks are going to party here all night, you might as well come next door, to church in the morning. Liturgy service starts at 8:30 am.”
The crowd cheered, the music started, and the dancing began shortly after. By midnight, the Ikarian community had flooded the dance floor. “It’s a great night for our community. Our traditions and customs live on”, said Ikarian George Horiates. “This event, reunites, invigorates and makes us proud of our ancestry”, added Horiates.
Yiannis Frangos was on violin once again as the sounds of traditional Ikarian music played all night. The event also draws on members from the Greek community as well, as fellow Cretans, Pontians, Macedonians and other sister organizations had tables at this yearly dance. It’s also the one of event that draws a huge young crowd, making it a great place for eligible Greeks to mingle.
Raffle tickets and arts were also part of the evening’s affair. Funds were raised for youth projects and annual scholarships awarded through the national organization. This years event also honored veterans (cake cutting ceremony) and long time member and friend of the community George Horiates.