St. George Community Center to raise funds for Greek elderly

LYNN – The North Shore Hellenic Women’s Guild (NSHWG) will host its first in-person fundraiser since 2019, featuring the popular Greek-American Comedian, Basile, Saturday night at the St. George Community Center at 54 Common St.

Basile, a well-known comedian whose last North Shore appearance was at the Giggles Comedy Club, and who recently returned from his European tour, will perform a blend of comedic material, characters, and improv to raise money for the Hellenic Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center Renovation Project.

NSHWG Advisor and former President Elaine Zetes said that Saturday’s event, which will feature Greek music, appetizers, dessert, coffee, and a cash bar, is meant to serve an organization whose work serves not only Lynn’s Greek community, but the elderly.

“The Hellenic nursing home and Rehabilitation Center, which was founded 50 years ago, started out to take care of the Greek elderly. But as the population grew, there’s fewer and fewer first generation Greeks around that could only speak Greek.” Zetes said. “Our goal this year is to raise money for the nursing home; they’re doing a big renovation, because it is a 50 year-old facility, and it’s like a hotel, you constantly need renovations.”

Within 30 years of annual fundraising, NSHWG has raised more than $500,000 for a variety of local causes and organizations. Last year, the organization raised $11,000 for a variety of food pantries, including St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry in Lynn.

“People were walking up with their little grocery carts, you know, waiting to get their bag of groceries and it was, you know, very inspiring,” Zetes said. “ I was born and bred in Lynn and still live here, So, you know, it’s my city, and I love my city. I want to make sure we prosper and survive,” Zetes said.

 Doors for Saturday night’s event will open at 7 p.m., with tickets available for $75 per person.