Cherry Hill, NJ – Assembled in front of the stage, members of the Velvendinon Society “Philopatria” threw their arms around each other and sang “Horeveta paidia tou Velvendou”. The song rang of the long journey many of these Velvendini took to America from their small village in Macedonia, Greece. The Velvendino Society celebrated it’s 110 years as an organization this evening with a hall filled event. Members of the community ranging in ages from 3 to 90 were in attendance and dancing.
Following the opening remarks by President George Tsiamis (Velvendinon Society) and prayer by Father Bratsinakis of St. Thomas Greek Orthodox church, the evening was celebrated in classic style. Delta Music provided the entertainment and Katerina Topazi joined in after dinner. The Spirit of Macedonia Dance Troupe performed traditional music from northern Greece. Throughout the evening, Topazi walked through the crowd singing and dancing. She even jumped on stage and played the drums for kicks, showing her enthusiasm for the event.