Dozens of Greek adoptees and their families from across the USA and Greece gathered in Louisville, Kentucky from June 20th to June 22nd for the Third Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion, hosted by The Eftychia Project.
After the first two reunions in Nashville, Tennessee and Athens, Greece, the event rotated back to the US for the fifth anniversary of The Eftychia Project, the only official adoptee-led organization in the US supporting Greek adoptees.
The Eftychia Project, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, assists and supports, free of charge, Greek adoptees searching for their roots and Greek biological families searching for their children lost to adoption. The organization was founded by Linda Carol Trotter, a Greek adoptee who reunited with her biological mother and extended Greek family in 2017.
While the first two reunions featured a conference and speakers, the third one was designed to allow adoptees to get to really know each other and just have fun.
Eftychia Project reunion celebrated Greek adoptees
“We felt the best way to celebrate 5 years of The Eftychia Project was to have a reunion that celebrated adoptees,” says Linda Carol. “So, no conference, no speakers, just a few organized group activities and plenty of free time for adoptees to get to know each other, hear each other’s stories and develop bonds that will last a lifetime.”
The festivities began with a welcome party at the host hotel on Thursday evening, June 20th, with plenty of food, Greek music, and Greek dancing.
Over the next two days, the adoptees visited Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory & Museum and were treated to a ghost tour of Old Louisville, one of the oldest Victorian areas in the US and one of the most haunted places in America.
Each afternoon, the hotel boardroom was open for live help from The Eftychia Project Board of Directors who searched for family and interpreted adoption documents. Legal experts were available to answer questions about restoration of Greek citizenship for Greek adoptees.
The reunion culminated with a fabulous buffet dinner at the Captain’s Quarters on the banks of the Ohio River and a dinner program that included reflections on the accomplishments of the Eftychia Project on its 5th anniversary by its president and board of directors, as well as an emotional and stirring keynote address by Rallou Kyriakopoulou, Esq. of Tsoromokos & Papadopoulos, PLLC. A drawing for Greek-themed door prizes and closing remarks rounded out the evening.
An announcement of the date and location of the Fourth Annual Greek Adoptee Reunion is expected in the next few weeks. Visit our website at www.theeftychiaproject.org for the latest news and information.
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