Cranston's Church of Annunciation readies for holiday bazaar

By Pete Fontaine
Posted 10/3/18

By PETE FONTAINE Fresh from helping make two events the Church of the Annunciation sparkling successes within the last five months, the Cranston-based Greek Orthodox Parish's Ladies Philoptochos Society is gearing up for its annual Holiday Bazaar. Like

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Cranston's Church of Annunciation readies for holiday bazaar

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Fresh from helping make two events the Church of the Annunciation sparkling successes within the last five months, the Cranston-based Greek Orthodox Parish’s Ladies Philoptochos Society is gearing up for its annual Holiday Bazaar.

Like the recent Cranston Greek Festival and Spring Food Fair, the Holiday Bazaar requires many hands and volunteer hours before the Philoptochos Society – which means “Friends of the Poor” – open the doors inside Demetrekas Hall at 175 Oaklawn Avenue Nov. 3-4.

Last Thursday evening, those Philoptochos members who have volunteered as chairpersons for eight different booths that will be set up in the Peter G. Mihailides Center, held yet another meeting to review a long check list and make sure all is in readiness for the unique holiday shopping and fun-and-food-filled event.

In keeping with tradition, the Ladies Philoptochos Society will transform the spacious Demetrekas Hall into a winter wonderland, replete with classy centerpieces as well as a number of holiday items like jewelry, hand crafts and gift baskets.

Of course, the Greek Orthodox Church’s famous foods – and caloric pasty creations – will again be a focal point for the two-day event that will run from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 and 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Nov. 4.

Parish officials this week announced that Bessie Papigiotis, Koula Rougas and Georgia Pappas will serve as chairladies for the event and more than two dozen other women have again volunteered to set up and man all booths for the 2018 Holiday Bazaar.

For example, Marie Andreopoulos and Anna Massenzio will served as co-chairs of the Jewelry booth that in past year has been a popular stop for bazaar-goers who are trying to find that unique and sometimes hard-to-find holiday gift for that someone special.

Pappas and her sister-in-law Joanne Pappas will again offer the highly-popular Day Raffle booth that in past years as featured everything from gift certificates to name restaurants, table-top kitchen items such as blenders, and even some extraordinary sports memorabilia.

Carol Rothemich has agreed to chair the Festive Baskets booth while Bessie Papigiotis will handle the Agora booth where people can purchase Greek foods and cheeses.

Meanwhile, two Annunciation icons – Koula Rougas and Roula Proyous – who are known for the on-going chair ladyship for the Greek Pastry booths – are chairing this year’s Taverna where people can sample many different foods for lunch and dinner.

Eleni Trikoulis is chairing the White Elephant booth while Maria Zaharakos and Rosemary Dimitriou will set up and man the Handknits area. Nancy Harritos and Angela Provost will be back at the Pastry booth while Ginger Pappas will hold down the Religious Bookstore.

Anna Demetrekas is in charge of the always interesting Christmas boutique.

So, if you like Greek foods and pastries, plan to take in the Philoptochos Society’s Holiday Bazaar.

More importantly, the non-profit’s membership is proud to announce, that all profits from the two-day event will again help the Philoptochos Society continue its unique and charitable giving to a number important charities like the Amos House, Bradley Hospital, Meeting Street School and Samaritans, just to name a few.

“Our Prayer Shawl Ministry, under the direction of Anna Demetrakas and some very talented members has knitted blankets, shawls, hats and scarves” Georgia Pappas added. “We’ve given those types of much-needed items to the Veterans Hospital, Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the homeless as well as many other charities through years.”

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  • stagequest

    Nice article about a wonderful group of ladies. However you spelled my aunt's name incorrectly. It is DemetrAkas. . You did spell it correctly in the photo. Thank you

    Monday, October 15, 2018 Report this