CANADA DAY - in the presence of the Canadian ambassador
When: Monday, July 9, 2018
Time: Arrival 19.30 – 20.00
Place: La Piazza pizzeria, 100 Agias Paraskeyis St, Kennedy (or Flyas’) Square, Chalandri 152 32 (3-min. walk from Agias Paraskeyis metro)

Guests: All nations welcome
Entrance: 14 euro EACH for a set menu: Risotto (with mushrooms, green & yellow peppers); Rocket and parmesan salad; Grilled pork chop & sausage with roasted potatoes; Glass of house wine, white or red; Cake
Dress: Casual
RSVP: Email the statement ‘Friends of Canada has my consent to process my data’, along with your name, mobile phone number & full names of your guests to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by Friday, July 6. Plz allow 24 hours for confirmation.
Seating: NO PRE-BOOKING OF TABLES, so informal first-come-first-seated/served

If possible, kindly bring adult personal hygiene products, like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, serviettes, razor, shaving gel

UPDATE: The threat of rain didn’t dampen the spirits of those who attended the informal Friends of Canada (FoC) Canada Day celebration in Athens on July 9 at La Piazza pizzeria – in the presence of Canadian Ambassador to Greece Keith Morrill and Jane Morrill, as well as Canadian Embassy Counsellor Debbie Desrosiers.

Our annual Canada Trivia Quiz had people scratching their heads. (Did you know that Canada has TWO national sports? Hockey and lacrosse! And what’s the most purchased grocery item there? Kraft dinner!) We also enjoyed the ritual cutting of the Canada Cake and the draw for our door prizes. (This year we had a plethora of free prizes –practically one for every person! We had so many that we kept a lovely assortment of gifts donated by the Morrills for our next meeting!)

Our FoC Welfare Network (which collaborates with the Salvation Army) collected several donations of adult personal hygiene products for the Salvation Army’s ‘By Your Side’ program for Greek families and people with their Greek papers.
However, the highlight of the evening was no doubt the sad farewells to & from the ambassadorial couple, who are finishing their term in Greece. FoC gave them a small token of our affection: A ‘Dance your dreams' print from artist Lila Koufopoulou, who is a FoC member and was one of the top 5 finalists in the 2017 Greek International Women Awards (category: Art & Design) in London. We thank the Morrills for their constant support, and wish them every personal and professional future success.

FoC would like to thank the following, who made the event possible:

--DOOR PRIZES:
• Maxime Raymond Bock, writer, (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baloney-Maxime-Raymond-Bock/dp/1552453391/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527528974&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=%EF%82%A7%09Maxime+Raymond+Bock ) for his book ‘Baloney’ (signed!)
• Kathleen Hart, for a bottle of Canadian whisky and maple syrup liqueur
• Shari Lapena, writer (http://www.sharilapena.com ), for her books ‘The Couple Next Door’ and ‘A Stranger in the House (signed!)
• JoAnn Lukey-Eliuk, for pencils (40), wrist bands (12), coffee crisp bars (2), chocolates (2), Christie maple leaf cookies, mug
• Barbara Molin, writer (https://barbaramolin.blogspot.gr/), for her book ‘Salt Water In My Veins’
• Natalie Morrill, writer (https://www.amazon.ca/Ghost-Keeper-Natalie-Morrill/dp/1443450456/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530895502&sr=8-1&keywords=natalie+morrill ) (signed!), for her book ‘The Ghost Keeper’
• Christine Saratsiotis, deputy director of Toronto International Festival of Authors (http://ifoa.org/) for Tastefully Canadian dark chocolate bars (2)
• Katerina Trambakou, manager Diktion, Yves Rocher, Greece (www.yvesrocher.gr), for Yves Rocher facials (5)
• Alissa York, writer (http://alissayork.com/), for her book ‘The Naturalist’ (signed!)

--FAREWELL GIFT: A ‘Dance your dreams' print from artist Lila Koufopoulou, a FoC member and one of the top 5 finalists in the 2017 Greek International Women Awards (category: Art & Design) in London, (http://lilaco.wixsite.com/lilakoufopoulou)

--VOLUNTEERS (alphabetically): Marie-Therese Rolland-Aqbarawi, Sophie Bordeau, Sylvie Dumont, Evdokia Filippou, Fran Kaltsiki, Dawn Lefakis, Patricia Thorburn-Maneta, Christine Melas, Leonidas Papageorgious, Katerina Papamarkou, Francoise Papaspyridis, Alexandra Pell, Jean-Curtis Plante, Eleni Tsoulogiannis, Jeannie Tsoulogiannis

--EMBASSY SUPPORT: Ambassador Keith Morrill and Jane Morrill, Debbie Desrosiers, Eleni Efstratoudakis, Julie Papanicolaou, Zoe Delibasis

--VENUE: La Piazza pizzeria, Chalandri (https://www.facebook.com/lapiazza.lapiazza/ ) for great hospitality and the sponsorship of the ambassadorial couple’s meal

Report by: Kathryn Lukey-Coutsocostas, FoC coordinator

EVENT PHOTOS
GO TO PHOTO GALLERY - General Festivities >
Thanks to Kathryn Lukey-Coutsocostas, Fran Kaltsiki and Dawn Lefakis for taking the photos!

GO TO PHOTO GALLERY - Canada Photo Booth >
Thanks to Dawn Lefakis for taking the photos!