By: Pat Gerbanas
The Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre of Wheeling, Illinois celebrated our 15-year anniversary at the Hellenic Legacy Gala on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at the Westin O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. Chairwoman, Frances Stamatoukos, along with advisor, Eleni Bousis, and their dedicated Gala Committee, outdid themselves once again this year with a beautiful and extravagant event. The Gala, which is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Care Centre, was a great success and aptly demonstrated the love and loyalty that our community has for the Home and the residents.
Master of Ceremonies, Peter G. Karahalios, President of the Board of Directors, kept the evening flowing and entertained everyone with his charm and wit. The charismatic and fabulous Giorgos Tsalikis and the gifted Yiannis Kritikos, captivated the audience and rocked the room. The stage, sound and lights transformed the banquet room to a wonderful concert atmosphere, and the talented entertainment kept everyone on the dance floor all night long. All this, plus great food, drink and camaraderie contributed to an enjoyable evening filled with “kefe”.
The Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit facility, accredited by the Joint Commission. The Centre, which opened in March of 2002 is the only nursing home in the Midwest that is owned by the Greek American Community. The Centre offers short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled care for the elderly and chronically ill, including a Memory Loss care floor. This state-of-the-art facility provides quality health care in a warm and cozy, home-like environment, where residents are treated equally with love, respect, honor and dignity. Many of our residents are on Medicaid, which unfortunately does not cover all expenses involved in their care. The Gala is a means for us to reach out to the community for assistance in reducing the shortfall from the funds we receive from the state and the amount it costs to care for our residents.
Our dream of a Greek American nursing home became a reality through the perseverance of many loyal and dedicated individuals who labored extensively to build and sustain this wonderful facility. With the generous support of many individuals and organizations across the country, this Home has excelled over our 15-year history. Your donations allow us to bring your Care Centre and its mission to the forefront of the Greek American Community. On behalf of the Gala Committee, the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and residents, we thank you, the Greek American Community, for your continuous love, loyalty and support of your Home.
