Kalanda 2009--another successful effort

Children who participated in the 28th anniversary of the New Year’s Kalanda are (left to right): First row: Eleni Delichatsios, Sophia Lampropoulou, Ilias Vamvakas, Teddy Torres, Eleftheria Lampropoulou, Nina Pittas, James McNeil (holding the boat), Vanessa Mitsialis, Markella Zanni (holding her son, Andrew Vassilis Humphrey), David Humphrey, John Zannis. Second row: Alex Souroufis, Lydia Souroufis, Katerina Stavrianidis, Maria Delichatsios, Antonis Pothoulakis, Kostis Theoharides, Sophia Paraschos, Alexi Paraschos, Petros Papadimitriou, Laura Fardeleau (hidden) Missing from the picture: George Pothoulakis, Konstantinos Karafropoulos, Phaedon Athanasopoulos, Thalia & Dimitra Papageorgiou. 

Despite the bitter cold, three generations of approximately 60 singers, about half of them children, went to 17 homes to sing the kalanda on New Year's Day 2009. For the second year in a row more than $4400 was collected for the Cardiac Fund for Greek children at Children's Hospital. It was the 28th continuous year that the group sang the kalanda in the Newton-Brookline area. 

Among its stops were Metropolitan Methodios' home, the Philoxenia House and Athan's coffee/pastry shop. Most of the children who started the Kalanda have finished college, have entered successfully into their professional careers, have families and many of them are out of state. Their position has been filled by new children who join the Kalanda every year to carry on this beautiful tradition. 

In this year’s Kalanda participated children as young as one. Among the participants were John and Markella Zannis, Helen Delichatsios and Dimitris Papageorgiou, who were in the early group of children who started the Kalanda. Markella, who was four years old in 1982, brought along her 15 month-old son, Andrew-Vassilis. Helen and Dimitris brought their daughters, Nina (age 8), Thalia (age 4) and Dimitra (age 2.5). 

 As always, Dr. Nikos Madias conducted the group, this time with a baton given to him by Sabbatoparea. Dr. Harry Pothoulakis and his family came all the way from Los Angeles to participate and Harry along with Vassilis were in charge of logistics. The singers were accompanied by Petros Papadimitriou with his clarinet, Elias Vamvakas with his violin and Makis Emmanouilidis with his baglama. (Click "play" below for a sample of the group's singing.)