Harry Barba Photo
LAVAL, Quebec — Beneath a wash of deep blue light, the ballroom of the Palace Convention Centre was set for something close to a coronation. Round tables wore black linen and gold chargers, royal-blue napkins stood folded at every place, and arrangements of white and pale-blue hydrangeas crowded the foot of the stage. At the centre of the room, catching the light, stood a flame-shaped glass award engraved with two figures whose outstretched arms open into a butterfly. The image is a chrysalis, the still moment before flight, and on the evening of May 9, 2026, it framed a gathering devoted to the young people of Montreal’s Hellenic community and to a larger question facing a community marking 120 years in this country: how to prepare the generation that will carry its faith, language and traditions forward.
The occasion was the Chrysalis Gala & Awards, presented by Greek Roots, a youth-driven Canadian nonprofit organization that connects young people of Hellenic heritage through volunteerism, mentorship and cultural experience. Now in its second year, the gala gathered community organizations, families, mentors, sponsors and elected officials under the theme “Empowering Youth to Soar Beyond Boundaries.” Guests arrived for a cocktail reception in the foyer before moving into the hall for a four-course dinner and the awards program. Founders George Andreopoulos and Anna Dimitrokalis set out the evening’s purpose plainly in the program. “Greek Roots was founded on a simple but powerful belief: when we invest in youth, we strengthen the future of our community,” they wrote.
That belief gave the night its civic weight. The gala served as a point of connection among Hellenic associations, schools, churches and community groups, each invited to put forward young people whose contributions deserved to be recognized. Greek Roots describes its work in three words printed across its banner that evening, “Empowering Youth. Building Community. Embracing Hellenism,” and the room reflected that aim, seating teenagers and university students at the same tables as long-serving community leaders.
The gala served as an honours night for young Hellenes. The event was designed to recognize the exceptional achievements and contributions of youth of Hellenic heritage within the community. Hellenic associations and community groups had been invited to nominate young people who exemplify the timeless Hellenic values that have influenced Western civilization for centuries.
Nominations were accepted across categories that included critical thinking and innovation, personal excellence, civic responsibility, philanthropy, environmental stewardship, and arts, literature and culture.
Antonia Macris, 2025 Changemaker of the Year recipient who returned this year to present an award and who serves as youth secretary on the board of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, congratulated the nominees and encouraged them to continue pursuing their goals. “To all the nominees, you will go far, and this is just the beginning. Keep on learning. Everything you do, however small, does make a difference and causes a ripple effect in what you do next. Celebrate your wins because this is a win for all of you.”
Joining Macris at the lectern to present the other Changemaker awards were Joseph Polossifakis, senior advisor, government and community relations at Suncor Energy and a 2016 Olympian in fencing, and Jacob Danassis, the 2025 Under-24 Changemaker of the Year recipient. Addressing the finalists, Polossifakis praised their achievements, saying, “I can’t believe what these changemakers have accomplished at such a young age,” and expressed pride in their contributions to the community. Danassis reflected on the significance of passing the award to the next generation, noting that the recipients’ hard work and dedication “represent the bright future of our community.” The evening’s hosts, Greek Roots ambassadors Evdokia Deligiannis and Diana Ruano Plescha, opened the program and introduced the finalists, who stood together on the stage in formal dress as their names were read and the glass trophy waited at the side.
From a larger field, a selection committee chose 10 finalists for the Changemaker of the Year awards, and their stories were presented in short filmed interviews shown to guests between dinner courses. The decision to feature every finalist in a filmed profile reflected a desire to showcase the breadth of young volunteer talent within the community. The range was wide. Among the nominees were a 15-year-old autism advocate who visits schools to raise awareness and inspire greater understanding; a Secondary 5 student who carried a sustainable-energy project to the Quebec regional science fair; a university leader who founded a campaign that collected more than 500 boxes of feminine hygiene products for women’s shelters; and a McGill University student recognized for academic excellence while mentoring youth and promoting Hellenic identity through community programming. Their work spanned hospitals, research institutes, parishes, dance groups and student associations across Montreal and Laval.
The 2026 Changemaker of the Year awards went to Peter S. Katsepontes in the under-18 category and Dennis Klapsis in the under-24 category. In the category for those 25 and older, the award was shared, presented jointly to Michael Crilis and Lia Zaharakis. Greek Roots also named two Volunteer of the Year recipients, Gregoris Kantzos in the under-18 category and Panagioti Kantzos in the under-24 category, presented by Massimo Briganti. They were drawn from a slate of nominees the organization said represented part of a volunteer corps of more than 300 young people who have together given more than 2,400 hours in service of Hellenic organizations across the region.
The keynote came from Basile Angelopoulos, president of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, which is observing its 120th anniversary this year. Speaking from a clear acrylic lectern as guests looked on from candlelit tables, he tied the gala to a long history of building institutions for those who would follow. “We are proud to support initiatives that encourage young people to lead, to serve, and to remain connected to the values and traditions that unite us,” he wrote in his welcome to guests, thanking them for “helping strengthen the future of our community.” In a statement circulated with the evening’s program, Andreopoulos added that the nominees “demonstrated the many ways young people are already shaping Montreal’s Hellenic community.”
Music threaded through the night. Maria Tsafatinos, a 12-year-old pop and country vocalist who trains with the Montreal-based Chroma Musika, performed alongside Christos Argyriou, a 21-year-old guitarist from Thessaloniki now studying kinesiology at the Université de Montréal, who offered his interpretations of Greek classics. The room rose for DIONY$IO$, a young Montreal artist of Hellenic heritage whose blend of pop and urban sounds includes “Bleu Blanc Rouge,” a Montreal Canadiens anthem that has drawn attention in the city. Guests lifted their phones to film as he moved to the front of the stage, the glass Changemaker trophy glinting on a cocktail table beside him.
Along one wall, a long table held the evening’s silent auction, a spread of sports memorabilia and gifts assembled to support youth programming. Framed and signed Montreal Canadiens jerseys anchored the display, among them a Lane Hutson sweater, a framed photograph of Jean Béliveau and the number 24 jersey of Chris Chelios, the Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman of Greek descent and son of Greek immigrants who won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1986. His jersey on the table drew a quiet thread between the city’s hockey history and the room’s Hellenic one.
The night drew support from across the community. Members of Parliament Annie Koutrakis, Sherry Romanado and Sameer Zuberi were among the contributors, alongside local Greek businesses and family sponsors. In a written message translated from French, Zuberi commended Greek Roots for “mobilizing passionate young volunteers and investing in leadership and mentorship,” and credited the organization with helping to build “an engaged and caring next generation.” The Laconian Brotherhood of Canada, another supporter, said Greek Roots helps “foster the values of Hellenism” while preserving Greek culture in communities across the country.
The silent auction, stocked with the Canadiens memorabilia and other items, remained open for bids until 11:30 p.m., and the evening closed with dancing.
