2011 CEGA Award winners

On Saturday October 15, 2011, 350 people congregated at the majestic ballroom of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel for the first annual CEGA Awards. CEGA, which stands for Celebrate Excellence in Greek Achievement, was conceived within the inspiration of honouring top achievement by persons of Greek decent. The awards, which were hosted by AHEPA Toronto, honour preeminent individuals, who have excelled in their respective fields, strive for excellence and serve as role models within and beyond the Hellenic community.

Leaders from the arts, sports, political, religious and business communities attended this inaugural event, where they were entertained by a multi-media extravagance of Greek culture, song, dance and imagery. As master of ceremonies, Gemini Award winning broadcaster Costa Maragos charmed the audience with his wit and brought another level of professionalism to the affair.

The evening has been acclaimed as the finest Greek event in recent memory. The organizers artistically combined live presentation with video productions and limited the length of all speeches to ensure that the audience was entercega/tained and inspired. The entire evening was presented as a unique and unexpected theatrical event, a departure from the traditional banquets and galas. The result was a resounding success!

The CEGA Executive committee consisting of Nick Thalassinos, Nina Antonakes, Antony Polyzotis and Dean Antonakes, worked diligently for months to ensure that every detail was addressed.  Their passion and vision yielded a world-class event that those in attendance will not soon forget.

The event’s success would also not have been possible without the generous contributions form this year’s corporate sponsors, including Scotiabank Group, Teknion Ltd., Donato Spa, Mr. Travel, DGFP Interior Design, uniPoint Software, Think It Solutions, Centum, AlphaOne Technologies, Pegasus Group, The Hellenic Heritage Foundation, Montage Graphics, Teak Printing Services, Stancorp, and Icon Insurance Brokers.

The proceeds for the event will be donated to the AHEPA Toronto Scholarship fund.

About CEGA and the Award Recipients

The CEGA Awards bestow appreciation for the contribution to the Greek-Canadian cultural fabric by recognizing excellence in one of five categories: the promotion of Hellenism; Education; Philanthropy; Civic Responsibility and Family & Individual Excellence. These categories represent the five pillars of the AHEPA mission statement.  

These 2011 CEGA Award winners offer leadership in a variety of programs that bring exceptional value to our Hellenic community. They included:

Mr. Dimitris Azemopoulos, Consul General of Greece in Toronto, winner of the CEGA Award for the Promotion of Hellenism.
Mrs. Nancy Athan-Mylonas,, winner of the CEGA Award for Education.
Mr. John Dagonas, winner of the CEGA Award for Philanthopry.
Mr. Nick Aroutzidis, Past AHEPA Canada President, winner of the CEGA Award for Civic Responsibility.
Mr. Ted Manziaris, winner of the CEGA Award for Family and Individual Excellence.

For complete information about the recipients and the event, including pictures and video footage, visit www.cegaawards.com.

The CEGA Executive Committee along with the CEGA Award winners:
From left to right:  Nina Antonakes, John Dagonas, Nancy Athan-Mylonas, The Honourable Dimitri Azemopoulos, Nick Aroutzidis, Ted Manziaris, Nick Thalassinos, Antony Polyzotis and Dean Antonakes

The CEGA Executive Committee accepting the donation cheque from Scotiabank Group Executives.

AHEPA Toronto President Bob Sachsenidis welcoming guests

His Excellency, Eleftherios Anghelopoulos, Ambassador of Greece to Canada presenting the CEGA Award for the Promotion of Hellenism

The majestic ballroom of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel