Yiasou, Yiannis!

Yiasou, Yiannis!

Meet Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church parishioner Yiannis Kyriakou, chairman of the church’s annual Greek Festival in Egg Harbor Township. He is the dedicated and focused individual whose passion for an authentic Greek Festival has remained steadfast since he took on the position in 1997. Yiannis came to America from Greece in 1984, when his father-in-law was chairman of the festival. He learned the ropes from him and this will be his twentieth year heading the community event.

You will find Yiannis greeting visitors with enthusiasm and stopping by to chat with or lend a hand to all the volunteers who work to make the festival a success. The festival is a family affair, so you may also recognize his wife, Kelly, at the pastry stand, and his son, Miltos, working in the taverna. Most of Yiannis’s work, however, is done behind the scenes, as he begins preparations in January of each year, making decisions about ordering ingredients, overseeing schedules, and even pitching in with the ladies of the church as they prepare baklava. When asked how to describe the typical week leading up to the festival, Yiannis says “It is hectic. I would say it is a lot of phone calls, donations, ordering, finalizing contracts, and picking up items. And the most challenging is to bring all the volunteers and everything else together in the end.” He is greatly appreciative of the efforts of all who volunteer, stating that he takes great pride in seeing all of them working together for a common cause and donating time out of their busy schedules for the church.

The festival is now Holy Trinity’s biggest fundraiser to support the church and all its ministries. Yiannis says that a good year for the festival is measured by how much money was made, or how good the weather was, or how seamless the organization was. His greatest measure of success, however, is how much visitors enjoyed their experience. He takes pride in the love put into the preparation of the traditional dishes, the welcoming atmosphere, and of course, the spectacular fireworks displays. “We see people that come every year to taste our foods and enjoy four days of Greek heritage. We get to know them and have conversations about their kids and how they are doing. Hearing people say what fun the festival is for the whole family - that for me is the best satisfaction”.