Pan-Rhodian Society of America, APOLLON
Canonsburg
– Pittsburgh Chapter #24
Members of the Canonsburg-Pittsburgh Chapter 24
pose in front of All Saints Church in Canosburg, home
of the St. Phanourios Shrine
Founded
on Jan 28, 1927 in Hartford, Connecticut by a group of dedicated people from
the Island of Rhodes, the Pan-Rhodian Society, APOLLON
was created to maintain our Rhodian heritage while
promoting the ideals of our Greek culture. The Pan-Rhodian
Society has grown over the years to include chapters across the United States
and continues to provide a strong link to the beloved homeland of our founders.
On
June 15, 1929, the Canonsburg chapter was formed. They continued through the
decades, promoting our heritage and providing a common denominator among those
who shared Rhodian ancestry. Not only had it become a
social organization but a philanthropic group, as well. The Canonsburg
chapter had become well known on the island as a strong group of caring
individuals who funded many causes for the people of Rhodes. This became most
evident during World War II when the island was occupied by Nazi & Italian
troops. Aside from the war relief effort, the Pan-Rhodian
Society provided much-needed dollars to the Rhodes Hospital for medical
equipment and supplies.
The
Pan-Rhodian Society continues to do its work in
Canonsburg & Pittsburgh areas even today, as they fund summer camp programs
for Rhodian youth on the island, provide scholarships
to the college age children of our local membership and support the Chapel of
St. Phanourios, (the patron saint of Rhodes) which is
situated at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Canonsburg.
Our
chapter holds firm in its beliefs that the future of Hellenism and pride in our
homeland lies in our young people. We support all efforts to involve the next
generation in our society. Clearly, in order to perpetuate our goals, we have
set sail in this direction.
We
encourage anyone with roots in Rhodes to consider being a part of our effort as
we continue to grow in this new millennium.