If it's the first weekend after Labor Day and the heat index is in the mid-nineties, then it must be time for the annual Greek Festival. Despite the heat, we had a good time visiting with friends, eating and watching the dancers. I am kind of surprised at how much Greek memorabilia bears the label "Made in China" these days. Did Greece grant China "Most Favored Nation" trade status or do the Chinese just love Greece?
It was nice to see that in lieu of tip jars, festival workers were collecting donations for relief funds to benefit victims of the wildfires in Greece. Assuming that the cash ultimately gets where it is needed, this seems like a great idea. As we have some good friends from Pelopónnisos, we have heard some firsthand tales of how horrible the situation has been in recent weeks. My understanding is that the Red Cross of Greece is still one of the best places to donate money for relief right now. The bureaucracy of the Red Cross is often criticized, but the organization remains one of the best centralized points for the collection and disbursement of aid for major disasters worldwide. At any rate, I have already received at least one chain letter for an allegedly "genuine" ad hoc relief effort that is almost assuredly fake and I am sure there are more to come. I would rather give to the Red Cross and know that at least some of the money is getting through as opposed to having a fly-by-night scam keep my cash for themselves.
On a completely unrelated note, I have to mention the most interesting t-shirt that I saw at the festival today. To be clear, the shirt in question was worn by a female festival attendee and not a festival worker or anyone affiliated with the church (as far as I could tell). The message on the shirt read, "Hustle for Jesus." Nice.
Anyway, we have uploaded some photos of the Evzonakia Dancers in a new, off-site photo gallery. (username & password required)
