Ambassador Robert W. Peck received Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF)

 

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 7^th 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.