Thousands of people attended the traditional annual picnic of the Federation of Greek Elderly Citizens’ clubs of Melbourne and Victoria at Rye Foreshore on Sunday 21st January with the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the federation. PRONIA attended the event with its own pavilion, providing information to hundreds of seniors from our community who visited the stall during the day to learn about the organisation’s services.

In the spirit of multiculturalism, for the first time this year a very diverse multicultural event was organised that pleasantly surprised the thousands of attendees. “This year we thought it appropriate to celebrate this event together,” announced the President of the Federation, Mr Ioannis Kostoulias. The day began with the traditions and songs of Italy and continued with dance and music performances from the Philippines and Indonesia. The Greek spirit of the event was given by the amazing dance groups of the Dance Academy “Pegasus” and the School of Greek Dances and Culture “Manassis” who presented dance performances from every region of Greece with over 150 dancers, with traditional costumes and stories for each dance.

PRONIA’s CEO, Mrs Tina Duvos-Stathopoulos, saluted the event along with MP of Mornington Mr. Chris Crewther and the Mayor of Mornington Cr. Simon Brooks. In her speech, Ms. Douvos-Stathopoulos recognised the tremendous contribution and sacrifices made by the elderly migrants to make a better life for themselves and their families. “PRONIA has maintained a close working relationship with the Federation as we share a common goal in providing opportunities for our senior citizens to maintain their independence and close relationships with their local communities.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we extend our warm congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the Federation that represents over one hundred clubs and counts over 22,000 members. PRONIA will continue to strengthen its partnership with the Federation to ensure that social connection and community participation remains a priority for community members for their continued well-being.”

A truly successful event that brought together our community for a happy occasion!