The 15th Christmas Bazaar of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer ‘ELPIDA’ took place at the SEMIRAMIS Hotel, on Tuesday, December 3 and 4, 2019, in a unique Christmas atmosphere of love and contribution, with very high attendance.

The President of ELPIDA, Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, visited the Bazaar at its opening and wished all participants success and happy holidays, also welcoming the friends of the Association, who visited the Bazaar for their Christmas shopping in support of the children of ELPIDA.

This year’s lucky charm of the Association, dedicated to love, designed especially for the 30^th anniversary of ELPIDA by vice-President Mrs Marianna Laimou and made by the SERKOS jewellery shop, was in great demand.

The stand of the ELPIDA Association and the ELPIDA Youth Committee attracted everyone’s interest with its unique creations that are environmentally-friendly and made with recyclable and reusable materials, all inspired by the ELPIDA lucky charm. The calligrapher sitting at the Association’s stand throughout the duration of the Bazaar made it possible for visitors to write the names of their loved ones on all the gifts. Contributors to the ELPIDA stand were: Livani Publishing, with books, Mrs Lila Dourou, with sweets, Mr Vasilis Kapernaros, with CDs, the MANOLO company, with t-shirts, the MARVA company, the JAR by Sweetmates pastry shop with sweets, Mrs Christina Filiagouridou with the LYCSAC company, as well as Mrs Emily Vafeia, Mrs Marili Glypti Kanellaki and Mrs Eirini Vassilopoulou.

The visitors lovingly showed their preference for the beautiful and original hand-made crafts, baubles, lanterns, lucky charms and candles from the Stand of the ELPIDA Guest House, manufactured by the volunteers of the art workshop, with the help of the parents and children with a lot of love.

The original hand-made creations of the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation table were very well received, while people showed great interest in the specially processed roses that last for up to 5 years, a kind sponsorship of AMMA ROSES, as well as the books offered by Kalenti Publishing.

The ORAMA ELPIDAS stand, throughout the duration of the Bazaar, handed out information on the voluntary donation of bone marrow, while everyone who registered as volunteer donors or adopted the typing of a sample bone marrow, received an elegant accessory from the ORAMA team. The Panhellenic Women’s Organisation PANATHINAIKI contributed significantly to the work of ORAMA with volunteers during the Bazaar.

The ELPIDA Association would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to the SEMIRAMIS hotel of the Dakis Ioannou family for its warm and gracious hospitality, to the Diamond Club of Niki Danelian, which offered all its sales revenues from the two days of the Bazaar to ELPIDA, and to Target Security which guarded the venue without charge.

The ELPIDA Association would also like to thank the 39 large companies which offered to the Association a share of their revenues from the sale of their special creations. The following companies participated:

AMARIS MYKONIAN ART STORIES, ANAPNOE, ANATOL, A’SHK, BIJOU, BLEECKER AND LOVE, BOULE DE VERRE, CHIP & CHIP, COTTON PRINCE, DANDELIONS, Δ. ΜΟΙΡΑΡΑΚΗ Α.Ε., DIAMOND CLUB, DOTS. ART FOR ALL, FIRST HOME DESIGN, HANDMADE WITH LOVE, HUFFY, ILEANA MAKRI, ILIAS LALAOUNIS, IORDANIS, KANDARAKIS, KESSARIS, KOKU CONCEPT, LA FENETRE, LIANA VOURAKIS, LIPSHOP, MELISSA PUBLISHING, MR & SON, MYRTO DIMITRIOU – ORIGAMI, NAKASPAPER, PAPASPIROU, PIETRA DI ORO, SCAPERDAS, SERKOS, STUDIO KOSTA BODA ILLUM, SUPER CAKES, TREASURE BOX BY ANNITA, VENETIA VILDIRIDIS, VOURAKIS ANTONIS, VST.

The organising committee consisted of the following ladies: Marianna Lemos, Elli Tanes and Nasia Thanopoulou. The contribution of the volunteer members of the ELPIDA Association was critical to the Bazaar’s great success.