On October 28, 2011, the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee hosted their annual Aegean Evening IV Costume Gala at the spectacular Walters Art Museum. This year’s event featured fabulous Greek cuisine by the Hazelwood Inn, delicious pastries from YiaYia’s bakery, a superb silent and live auction and raffle tickets for a trip to Greece or $2,500 cash.
Guests, some in festive costume attire, mingled and danced to the music of Zephyros Orchestra.The Honorary Chairmen were Aris Melissaratos, Senior Adviser to the President, Johns Hopkins University and Gary Vikan, the Director of the Walters Art Museum. Kaliope Parthemos, Deputy Mayor for Economic and Neighborhood Development in the Office of Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, was chosen by the Committee as the honoree.Proceeds from this year’s Aegean Evening IV will benefit the International Orthodox Christian Charities, The Walters Art Museum “Friends of the Ancient Collection” and the good works of the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee.Among the notables attending were Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes, Peter Franchot, Comptroller of Maryland, Kumar Barve, Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates and Louis Zagami, Development Officer for the International Orthodox Christian Charities.Sister Cities International is a non-profit network that creates and strengthens partnerships between the United States and international communities. The organization “strives to build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development”. The United States Sister City Program originated in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people citizen diplomacy initiative. In 1982, The Mayor of Piraeus and Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer signed papers and the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee was formed. The first Chair of the Committee was John Paterakis. Congratulations to the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee for their hard work and leadership in making Aegean Evening IV a huge success.
