St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine has named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy its 2026 Beacon of Hope honoree for a black-tie dinner on Saturday, September 26, at Casa Cipriani in New York.
The announcement names Zelenskyy as the honoree but does not confirm whether he will attend. Ukraine’s official presidential website continues to identify him as the country’s president.
Cocktails will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Beacon of Hope Award Dinner at 8 p.m. After-dinner cocktails are scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Casa Cipriani is located at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan.
Individual seats are priced at $1,500. A $3,500 Bearer of Light sponsorship includes two seats and recognition in the event program. Additional sponsorship packages range from $25,000 to $250,000, and tables seat 10 guests. Reservations are due by September 13.
The Shrine said it selected Zelenskyy for his leadership during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ticket and sponsorship information is available through the official Beacon of Hope Dinner announcement.
The dinner is scheduled during the year marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The setting is closely tied to St. Nicholas, the only house of worship destroyed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
The rebuilt church, designed by Santiago Calatrava, now stands at 130 Liberty Street as both an active Greek Orthodox parish and a national shrine open to the public. Its official history traces the original parish’s roots to Greek immigrants in Lower Manhattan and the long effort to rebuild after the attacks.
The inaugural Beacon of Hope Dinner was held in September 2025 during Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to the United States. Representatives of the FDNY, NYPD, and Port Authority Police Department received the first awards in recognition of the service and sacrifice of September 11 first responders, according to the Orthodox Observer’s report.
Please confirm event details with the organizers before attending, as dates, times, locations, and registration information may change.