Greek dance to benefit church, celebrate traditions

BANGOR – At St. George Greek Orthodox Church, organizers are working to rejuvenate the fondly remembered tradition of the annual Greek Ball by holding the first annual “Big Fat Greek Dance” 7-11 p.m. Friday, July 18, at Wellman Commons on the old seminary campus, 300 Union St.

Dance co-chairwomen Susan Jonason and Cathy Speronis, both Bangor Rotarians, are working with members of the St. George Greek Orthodox parish to put together a fun time where attendees will enjoy plenty of Greek spirit, including special Greek appetizers, Greek line dancing and plenty of Greek hospitality.

“We even plan to roast a lamb outside on the patio if the weather is nice,” Speronis said. “The whole neighborhood around Wellman Commons will know we’re there when they smell lamb roasting.”

Jonason added, “This is a fundraiser for our church, which suffered from vandalism earlier this year when one of our front windows was broken. We all wanted to do something to help raise the money to replace the window, and so we thought we should re-establish a much-loved tradition that would be great fun for everyone. The “Big Fat Greek Dance” is the answer.”

Advance tickets are $25 and may be purchased at three local restaurants owned by members of St. George’s Church: Angelo’s Pizzeria on Hammond Street, Bangor House of Pizza off Stillwater Avenue behind Best Buy, and Captain Nick’s on Union Street. For those who wait until the last minute, tickets may be purchased for $30 at the door.

“Bring some extra spending money to the dance for our ‘OPA!’ balloons,” Jonason said. “Each balloon will hold a valuable prize inside donated by local businesses. We’ll have beer and wine available, plus ouzo, for sure.”

In keeping with the dance theme, Speronis said, “Bring your own Windex!”

St. George Greek Orthodox Church has become a well-known attraction at the American Folk Festival each year, with its popular Greek Taverna food booth. Festival attendees look forward to consuming Greek gyros, souvlaki, spanakopeta and their “best in town” lemonade, among other specialty items.

“The “Big Fat Greek Dance” gives us another opportunity to share our Greek traditions with the Greater Bangor community,” Speronis said, “We look forward to having a great time with everyone who attends.”

For information, call St. George Greek Orthodox Church at 945-9588 and leave a message for Susan Jonason.