34th Kalanda raises record amount for Cardiac Fund

About 70 children and adults from Newton and surrounding communities raised a record $5,000 for the Boston Children’s Hospital Hellenic Cardiac Fund by singing the Kalanda on New Year’s Day 2015. It was the 34^th consecutive year the group sang. The children carried the customary blue boat that was constructed in 1982 (see photos).

Organizer/founder Dr. Vassilis Zanis said Kalanda “brings together the older and younger generations of children and their parents, thereby reaffirming old friendships and fostering new ones and thus giving a sense of community.” In fact, he added, “Several of the children who participated in the early Kalanda have finished college, have become successful professionals and now they bring their own children to the event.”

Dr. Nikos Madias conducted the singers and Evangelos Papadopoulos played the accordion. This year, special emphasis was paid to singing by phone to those original carolers who have moved to other parts of the world, such Lappas, Cladaras, Pothoulakis, Travagiakis, Mody, George and John Kefalas in the U. S., Argyro Rekletis, Kalliopi Sitaras, and Nikolas Zannis in Greece and to the former consul general of Greece in Boston and now in Georgia, George Hatzimichelakis. Those who received our Kalanda calls in distant lands were especially moved, Zannis said.

As has been the custom, $600 will be donated to the Communities Without Borders, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the education and healthcare needs of young children in Africa.

Madias  summed up the meaning of the occasion by saying “I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the start of a new year than to participate in the New Year’s Kalanda.”

Καί του Χρόνου.