Ambassador
Robert W. Peck received Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hellenic
Heritage Foundation (HHF)
Justine Frangouli-Argyris
The Hellenic
Heritage Foundation (HHF) Annual Gala is a major celebration
that recognizes distinguished Canadians of Hellenic descent or Philhellenes for
their outstanding contributions and this year;s honorees were ambassador Robert W.
Peck, Dr. John Floras and
Paralympian Marissa Papaconstantinou
The Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF)
Annual Gala has been a cornerstone event for over 27 years, celebrating
and preserving Hellenic culture, language, and education in Canada. Since its
inception, the Gala has served as the largest
fundraising event for the foundation, supporting a wide range
of initiatives, including student
study abroad scholarships, Greek language school textbook grants, teacher
training programs, Greek theater, dance, and music productions.
The Gala is
not just about fundraising—it’s also a moment to honor distinguished individuals
who have made significant contributions to the community and to celebrate the
achievements of the HHF throughout the year. Over the years, it has featured renowned speakers, entertainers, and
cultural performances, making it a highly anticipated event in
the Greek-Canadian community.
This
year’s Recognition Award Recipients who were honoured at the 2025 HHF Annual
Gala – Blue & White Ball, on
Saturday, June 7th at the
Universal Eventspace were the following:
HHF Lifetime Achievement Award - Robert W.
Peck
Robert
W. Peck, a committed Philhellene, dedicated much of his diplomatic career to
fostering closer Canada-Greece ties and attributes much of his success to the
unwavering support of his Greek-Canadian partner, Maria Pantazi Peck.
He
served twice at the Canadian Embassy in Athens: first as Counsellor and later
as Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus. During his term in Greece, Robert
spearheaded key agreements between Canada and Greece, launched a Canadian
Embassy education resource center and a Greek graduate alumni network. His role
in Canada’s artistic presence at Thessaloniki, Cultural Capital of Europe 1997,
earned him a Canadian Foreign Minister's Citation. The Greek State honoured his
diplomatic achievements in 1998 with an appointment as "Grand Commander of
the Order of the Phoenix".
Post
diplomacy, Robert has served on the boards of Energean PLC, the Ottawa Symphony
Orchestra and led major fundraising campaigns, notably to renovate the new
Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG). Robert also serves on the board of the
Michaëlle Jean Foundation, a legacy of Canada's 27th Governor General, which
supports youth empowerment, diversity and inclusion and continues to mentor
young professionals in both Canada and Greece.
To
date, Robert remains committed to deepening Canada-Greece ties through his
active leadership in both the annual Toronto Economic Forum and The Hellenic
Initiative Canada. In 2024, he chaired the organizing committee of the Toronto
event honoring Prime Minister Mitsotakis and is an active supporter of the
Greek International Film Festival Tour (GIFFT).
HHF Lifetime
Achievement Award – Dr. John Floras
Dr.
John Floras is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and a
Senior Scientist of the Toronto General Research Institute.
After
graduating in Medicine from Toronto, he became the first cardiologist of Greek
descent in Toronto. In 1985,
he established the first cardiovascular laboratory in Canada and subsequently,
served as Head of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Hospital.
John
has devoted considerable effort to mentoring colleagues and supporting early
career investigators. After serving as President of the Canadian
Hypertension Society, he deployed its endowment to build research capacity in
this discipline. From 2009-2015 he Chaired the Board of The Banting
Research Foundation, Canada’s oldest medical grant agency.
Often
recognized as a leader in his field, Dr. Floras has published over 300 articles
in influential journals and the first book focused on sleep apnea and
cardiovascular disease. He has delivered over 350 invited lectures and
seminars world-wide and his research has been recognized by awards from
Canadian, American and International societies.
In 2006
he was appointed an Archon of the Greek Orthodox Church by the Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I and in 2013, he was honoured by the Hellenic
Cardiological Society for a lifetime of service to the Science of Medicine.
HHF Outstanding Achievement Under 40 Award –
Marissa Papaconstantinou
Marissa
Papaconstantinou is a three-time Paralympian, two-time World medalist and
Canadian Record holder in the sport of track and field. Being born without a
right foot, her differences never stopped her from what she wanted to achieve
in life. At just 16 years old she made her first Paralympic team, and won a
bronze medal by her second appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic games in the
women’s T64 100m.
Through
a lot of success, failure and experiences within the high-performance sport
landscape, Marissa has learned many lessons and tools that have gotten her to
where she is today. She is an avid role model and trailblazer for the
disability community being the first female Canadian para-athlete to be signed
and sponsored by Nike.
Being
a graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University's Sport Media Program, she has
aspirations of being an on-air broadcaster. Marissa hopes to continue to grow
para sport through influence in the media and help demonstrate that people with
disabilities can achieve remarkable goals in pursuit of excellence. Through her
public speaking, she shares with others that regardless of your difference or
struggle, you can achieve anything you set your mind to with resilience and
perseverance.
The
Hellenic Heritage Foundation launched the HHF Recognition Awards with the goal
of recognizing and celebrating distinguished Canadians of Hellenic descent or
Philhellenes who have made an outstanding contribution to Canadian society and
to the Greek-Canadian community at large.
