HELLENIC WOMEN’S CLUB TO CELEBRATE 90 YEARS OF PHILANTHROPY AT 2026 MISTLETOE BALL
Posted by estiator at 25 September, at 11 : 59 AM Print
BOSTON, MA (September 25, 2026) — The Hellenic Women’s Club, EOK will celebrate its 90th Anniversary with its annual Mistletoe Ball on Saturday, November 28, 2026 at the historic Fairmont Copley Plaza, bringing together members, supporters, friends and guests for an evening commemorating nine decades of philanthropy and community service.
As part of this milestone celebration, the Club will honor His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, recognizing his longstanding leadership, service and contributions to the Greek Orthodox community. The evening will also feature acclaimed Greek singer Glykeria, with special guest Kostas Ageris, bringing a special evening of Greek music and entertainment to the 90th anniversary celebration.
Founded in Boston in 1936 by seven women of Greek descent, the Hellenic Women’s Club – known in Greek as Ellinikos Omilos Kyrion (EOK) – has built a 90-year legacy of philanthropy and community service. What began as a sewing club raising funds to assist Greek soldiers and orphans during the Greek War Relief effort has grown into a longstanding philanthropic organization dedicated to medicine, charity, fellowship, scholarship and the preservation and promotion of Hellenic ideals.
The Mistletoe Ball has been central to that legacy since 1946, when members organized the first dinner dance to raise funds for war-torn Greece. The event continued annually in November or December and evolved into one of Boston’s most anticipated holiday social and philanthropic events. Today, the Mistletoe Ball is the longest consecutively held event of its kind in Boston and remains one of the Club’s signature fundraisers, helping advance its charitable mission while bringing generations of supporters together in celebration.
“Throughout our 90-year history, the EOK has remained true to the ideals established by our founders,” said Elaine Zouzas, President of the Hellenic Women’s Club. “From supporting families and communities during times of crisis to investing in education, medical research and the future of young women, generations of members have demonstrated what can be accomplished through compassion, generosity and service. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we are deeply grateful to everyone who has helped carry this legacy forward and are excited to continue building on it for generations to come.”
The Club’s philanthropic efforts include the EOK Scholarship Fund, which awards $5,000 scholarships annually to deserving young women of Greek descent based on academic merit, community service and leadership. Established in 2011 in recognition of the Club’s 75th anniversary, the scholarship program has awarded more than $400,000 to women pursuing higher education. Scholarship recipients are recognized each year at the Mistletoe Ball.
The Hellenic Women’s Club also supports the Demetra Fund for Breast Cancer Research and Patient Assistance, established in memory of longtime member Demetra “Toulie” Samellas, as well as a wide range of medical, educational, cultural and community organizations in both the Greek and American spheres. Through its Sustaining Sponsor Program, fundraising events and the generosity of donors and guests, the Club has raised more than $2 million for charitable causes in the past decade alone. By 2026, the Demetra Fund has awarded more than $625,000 in breast cancer research grants, while the Club’s signature scholarship initiatives have provided more than $400,000 in scholarships.
The Club is also proud to have enabled numerous “Major Gift” named initiatives, such as a new kitchen at the Maliotis Cultural Center at Hellenic College, a physical therapy room at the Hellenic Nursing Home, rare Greek books for Harvard University libraries, the restoration of an ancient Greek mosaic floor at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the furnishing of a bedroom at Philoxenia House, and the creation of a monumental mosaic fireplace cross at the Metropolis of Boston Camp –among many others.
90 Year History Overview of the Hellenic Women’s Club:
The Hellenic Women’s Club, EOK’s nine-decade history reflects the enduring commitment of generations of women to philanthropy, community and the preservation of Hellenic heritage. The Club was founded in November 1936, when Brookline resident Urania Papas, originally from Asia Minor, invited six other Greek women to her home to form a club. The Hellenic Women’s Club became the first organized women’s group in the Boston Greek community outside of the Orthodox Church.
From its earliest years, the EOK responded to the needs of both the Greek and American communities. During World War II, members rolled bandages and packed medicines for Greek soldiers, and in 1941 held their first fundraiser, a Greek War Relief concert. Following the war, the Club began a two-decade commitment to supporting orphaned children in Greece (even shipping a refrigerator to orphans in Patras!), with proceeds from its annual dinner dances benefiting orphanages throughout the country. The Hellenic Women’s Club also established its first scholarships for Greek-American college students and, in 1956, began an unbroken tradition of providing scholarships to theological students at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
The Hellenic Women’s Club’s signature Mistletoe Ball traces its roots to these early dinner dances. In 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the day of the Club’s annual Dinner Dance, members rescheduled the event for December. The Dinner Dance was subsequently reborn as the Mistletoe Ball, establishing a holiday tradition that has continued for more than six decades and has become one of Boston’s longest-running charitable social events.
Over the decades, the EOK’s philanthropic mission expanded to support both Hellenic and American causes, including medical research, education, cultural preservation and community organizations. Its charitable beneficiaries have included the American Farm School, Hellenic Nursing Home, Hellenic College, Rosie’s Place, Massachusetts General Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Perkins School for the Blind, Philoxenia House and the Metropolis of Boston Camp. The Club also awarded scholarships at institutions including Tufts University, MIT, Boston University and Harvard University, with a 40-year long endowed scholarship at Wellesley College in support of a Greek-American student. These fundraising events brought together supporters through cultural programs, fashion shows, theater and musical performances.
In 1986, the Hellenic Women’s Club became a federal nonprofit charitable organization. During the following decades, its philanthropy continued to grow through the Mistletoe Ball’s Sustaining Sponsor Program and the establishment of the Demetra Fund, an in-house initiative supporting breast cancer research in memory of member Demetra “Toulie” Samellas. In 2011, the EOK marked its 75th anniversary by establishing its first in-house scholarship program for college and graduate-level women of Greek descent, which today awards five to seven scholarships annually.
The Hellenic Women’s Club continued its tradition of service through the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting its programs and hosting a virtual Mistletoe Ball that highlighted the organization’s history and scholarship recipients. Today, as it celebrates its 90th Anniversary, the Hellenic Women’s Club looks back on nine decades of community, charity, connection and Christmas cheer – and forward to the generations yet to come.
The 90th Anniversary Mistletoe Ball will continue the tradition of celebrating the holiday season while advancing the EOK’s enduring commitment to philanthropy. The milestone event will offer an opportunity to honor the Club’s remarkable history, celebrate the women and supporters who have shaped its legacy, and look toward the next chapter of service to the community.
The Hellenic Women’s Club 90th Anniversary Mistletoe Ball will take place Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the historic Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. Invitations and table reservations for The Hellenic Women’s Club 90th Anniversary Mistletoe Ball will be available in October. For more information about the Hellenic Women’s Club and its 90th Anniversary Mistletoe Ball, visit hellenicwomensclub.org.
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About the Hellenic Women’s Club:
Founded in 1936, the Hellenic Women’s Club is a longstanding nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing and preserving Hellenic heritage, culture and traditions while fostering education, philanthropy and community service. For nine decades, the Club has provided a forum for women to come together in support of the Greek-American community and to uphold the values of service, leadership, fellowship and cultural preservation. Through its charitable, educational, cultural and social initiatives, the Hellenic Women’s Club continues the vision of its founders by supporting worthy causes, celebrating Hellenic traditions and strengthening connections among generations. As the Club marks its 90th anniversary, it remains committed to honoring its distinguished legacy while embracing opportunities to serve its community and preserve its heritage for generations to come. For more information, please visit www.hellenicwomensclub.org or follow on Instagram and Facebook.
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Dena Panagopoulos
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