Clearwater, Florida, January 24, 2025
Photo: clearwatergreekfest.com
A successful fall festival has transformed into crucial hurricane aid, as Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Clearwater announced it will distribute $92,500 to local organizations affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The funds, generated by the church’s Clearwater Greek Festival last October, will support seven Tampa Bay organizations with $12,500 each. Recipients include Metropolitan Ministries, Feeding Tampa Bay, and several local Greek Orthodox churches where parishioners faced hurricane damage. The church will also assist Clearwater city employees who lost homes during Hurricane Helene, reports wfla.com.
The congregation approved the donation plan on January 9, with distribution set for February 2. An additional $5,000 in festival tips will go to the Community Dental Clinic.
The beneficiary churches include St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, St. John the Baptist in Tampa, St. Stefanos in St. Petersburg, and St. Barbara in Sarasota.
The festival, held October 25-27, 2024, maintained its tradition of celebrating Greek culture while taking on new significance as a vehicle for community support.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!