Recognizing the Pancretan Association of America

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise to honor the Pancretan Association of America (PAA) on their many achievements throughout their 94 years of dedicated service. I am thrilled to congratulate the PAA on the establishment of their first-ever National Headquarters at the Hellenic Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and on the recent election of their organization's first female president, Diane Kounalakis.

The PAA and the Pancretan Youth Association (PYA) offer a rich array of programs to cultivate and preserve the extraordinary heritage of the island of Crete. The PAA and PYA have supported the enrichment and personal development of both Cretan Americans and the general public through educational events, study abroad scholarships, dance and music workshops, and translations of Greek literature. The PAA also has a long and storied history of advancing essential causes on the island of Crete and throughout both Greece and the United States. From helping to establish Crete's first public hospital in the 1950s to supporting orphanages, food pantries and disaster relief today, the PAA has made immense contributions.

I have no doubt that President Diane Kounalakis, a longtime PAA member and volunteer, will be an exemplary leader for the PAA. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I urge my colleagues to join me in applauding the PAA for its many decades of service, and in wishing the PAA all the best in the years to come.

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