Hellenic Societies Crown Miss Greek Independence

Photos ETA Press Miss Greek Independence, Georgia Lilikas, posed with Nick Diamantidis, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies (l.), and Petros Galatoulas, general secretary and chairman of the Federation's Cultural Committee (r.), moments after the crowning ceremony. Junior Miss Greek Independence Anna Zarkas looks on.

Demarest, New Jersey resident Georgia Lilikas, 22, who graduated

from Rutgers University

(State University of New Jersey) with a major in marketing and a minor in Modern Greek was chosen Miss Greek Independence for 2006 in a pageant competition held March 12 at the Federation of Hellenic Societies in Astoria.

Lilikas will lead New York City's 75th

annual Greek Independence Day Parade in Manhattan on Sunday, April 2, starting at 1 p.m. at the Essex House Hotel, 59th Street and Central Park South, proceeding north along Fifth Avenue and ending at 79th Street. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will lead the lineup of four grand marshals with Andrew A. Athens, president, World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE); John G. Rangos, Sr., head of The John G. Rangos, Sr. Charitable Foundation and Paul Stathoulopoulos, president and chief executive officer, Marathon National Bank of New York.

Photos ETA Press Miss Greek Independence Georgia Lilikas (r.) is joined by Junior Miss Greek Independence Anna Zarkas, following the pageant competition held at the Federation of Hellenic Societies in Astoria.

Lilikas competed against eight other young women for the title. "I was really surprised [to win]. I competed because I was a Modern Greek studies minor and president of the Hellenic Cultural Association at Rutgers last year," Lilikas said. "This is a good way for me to continue promoting Hellenism and Greek studies in higher education." She presently works in pharmaceutical advertising in New Jersey. Her goal is to be a positive role model for the younger generation. "You have to step up and out of the box and create a new movement to have people listen to you, and hopefully that will trickle down to other universities," Lilikas added

A Junior Miss Greek Independence competition also took place. The title winner was 18-year-old Anna Zarkas. Both pageants included several question-andanswer rounds on Hellenic culture and ideals. More than 100 people watched the competition.

More than 80,000 participants and spectators from across the New York area and tri-state region are expected to attend the parade, which features more than 40 floats and marching bands, many in Greek ethnic costumes. Also participating will be the Evzones, the official Greek Presidential Guard, Greek and United States government officials and media personalities.

The celebration on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the largest in the country, commemorates the 185th anniversary of Greek Independence. It also honors Greeks who sacrificed to preserve the ideals of freedom, democracy, and independence from the Ottoman Empire's rule over tyranny and oppression.

The Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, organizer of the annual Greek Independence Day parade, is a not-for-profit organization comprised of nearly 200 civic, cultural, regional, and professional organizations. Its mission is to preserve and promote Hellenic culture and heritage throughout the five boroughs of New York.

After 400 years of rule by the Ottoman Empire, Greece declared its independence on March 25, 1821. The annual Greek Independence Day parade is held on the closest Sunday to March 25 in a dual celebration integrally connected with the Christian Feast of the Annunciation. The annual commemoration brings together thousands of Greek-American civic, religious and political organizations, representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church and American and Greek government officials.

The Modern Greek Studies Program at Rutgers University covers the language, literature, politics, history, religion and culture of Modern Greece. The program holds the Odysseus Elytis Chair in honor of Elytis, Greece's 1979 Nobel Laureate. (www.moderngreek-studies.rutgers.edu)