Hellenic Club, also known as Greek Club, sponsored by English teacher Melissa Halkias, is more than just any club at LFHS. Students gather together by learning traditional Greek activities, learning about the culture, and even fundraising to help support the Greek community.
However, you don’t have to be a Greek Orthodox in order to attend the club. Instead, many join to learn about a new culture they are not familiar with.
“Hellenic Club is open to all students; you don’t even have to be Greek to be a member,” Halkias said. “It’s a place for students to come and socialize, learn about different cultural traditions and customs. It’s a place for us to celebrate our heritage together.”
Recently, members of the club teamed up with The Hellenic Initiative to fundraise for the Wildlife Relief Efforts. The proceeds went to help plant new trees in Greece.
“For us, we chose to donate to the Wildfire Relief Efforts, and with the thousand dollars we raised, we were able to plant 40 trees,” Halkias said. “We were extremely proud of that.”
On Monday, March 10, during all lunch periods, the Hellenic Club will be selling Do-Rite Doughnuts with all proceeds going towards funding for the club. You can pre-order your doughnuts using this link.
“Hellenic club is so fun because you get to meet new people from all grades,” sophomore Bella Daehler said. “I’m not Greek, but it has been cool to learn about Greek culture and traditions.”
The club was designed to spark many students’ interests by consistently switching up their activities to make every student feel included. They also incorporate many guest speakers into their meetings to share their personal perspectives on Greek culture.
Some of the speakers in the past have included Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, NBA agent Alex Saratsis, and George Gemelas, founder of The Axios Project.
“We try to fit in different events and activities that cover everyone’s interests. Some of our more popular events are our New Year’s celebration, Greek folk dance lessons, and our language lessons,” co-sponsor Mr. William Tsakalios said.
Hellenic Club meets on the first Wednesday of every month after school at 3:30 in Room 355. Their next meeting will be on March 5, where they will learn about Greek Independence Day and discuss upcoming fundraisers. Everyone is welcome!
