“Under the Parthenon light”
The 31st international Hystiocyte Society Meeting was held in Greece. The Artemis Association, which hosted the conference, welcomed its participants and held a dinner at the Acropolis Museum. The beautiful night wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of members and friends of the Artemis Association. We would like to thank especially Mr. Simos Palios, honorary member and supporter of our Association, who helped us secure the wonderful Acropolis Museum during its non-operating hours for our dinner.
The event began with a tour around the museum, guided by knowledgeable professionals. The smiles, nods and feedback we received from our guests assured us it was a noteworthy experience. After the tour, members attending the Hystiocyte Society Meeting were escorted to the dining hall where a small gift awaited them; a copy of the 297BC tetradrachm coin featuring Alexander the Great on one side and Athena on the other.
Mr. Nikolas Kontoyannis opened the night with a speech welcoming everybody and stating “I would like to wish everyone a pleasant night. I hope you enjoy the conference in Greece and I wish you best of luck on your patient’s treatment and on finding a cure for Histiocytic Disorders. Thank you”. Mr. Apostolos Kontoyannis followed the speech by greeting everyone and thanking the scientists, friends, and benefactors for their valuable help. He then talked about three very distinguished people who passed away during 2015. A video, featuring probably Dr. Arcici’s last interview with Mr. John A. Kontoyannis, was projected dedicated to his loving memory. Dr. Rodriguez Galindo, the president of the Hisiocyte Society greeted the guests, as did Dr. Maarten Egeler who spoke about Dr. Arceci and Dr. Jennifer Picarsic who spoke about Dr. Marian Malone.
The dinner that followed was accompanied by the “Arco Continuo” string quintet who played some of Dr. Arceci’s favorite pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Luigi Boccherini, Rossini, Strauss and Nikos Skalkottas. The concert was a kind donation by Mrs. Dominiki Papathanasiou and the company Concerts & More.
Orchestra director Roberto Soldatini was scheduled to perform but unfortunately could not attend due to an injury. However, he did attend the gala in spirit since he offered to donate part of the profits of his latest book “Music of the Sea – Notes of the Aegean” towards the Artemis Association. The book was published in Greece, in Greek and English, thanks to Mr. Topouzoglou and was gifted to the attendees of the Acropolis Museum dinner.
Overall, it was a lovely night and an honor to host over 200 guests from all over the world. In fact, Mr. Kontoyannis proposed that the annual conference be held in Greece once every five years. Who knows? All big ideas start with a dream!
