A $1 500 damage bill might sound like a lot for a bit of Greek plate-smashing, but for Billy Billiris, who raised $35 000 for multiple sclerosis, it was a small price to pay.
The 16 year-old Greek Australian boy from Sydney announced this week that 370 people turned up for his fundraising event, ‘Greek Night for MS,’ raising more than double what they had initially expected.
“It was about bringing the Greek community together, and we raised a lot of money and a lot of awareness for MS,” Billiris told Neos Kosmos.
“There was lots of Greek dancing, and we smashed over 150 plates.”
The money, which was raised through ticket sales, an auction and sponsorship, will be going to help with research and program implementation for MS.
It’s a cause that is close to Billaris’ heart; his father developed the neurological disease 11 years ago.
“My dad’s got progressive MS which affects his walking ability, so, mentally he’s 100% but physically, not so good,” he said.
Billiris is also organizing two Greek fundraising events in Sydney later in the year, including OPA: The Hellenic Festival on 18 December.
“It’s very important that we keep the Greek spirit alive, especially in Sydney where it’s dying out slowly,” he said.
“There’s a lot of Greek Australians who aren’t proud to be Greek Australian as they once were, and people aren’t uniting anymore, so it’s really bad to see from my end.”
The 16 year-old plans to involve as many young Greek Australians as he can, through performing, DJing, and, of course, plate smashing.
He said it was important to encourage young people to get involved in the Greek community.
“It makes me sad because right now I’m probably the only one pushing in my generation to get involved to the extent that I’m trying to go,” he said. “If you’ve got a dream you’ve got to make it happen, and for me the dream is about reuniting all the Hellenic community here in Sydney,” he said.
(source: neos kosmos)
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