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Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners
Athens, Greece


We kindly invite you to join our noble cause; the purchase of approx. 100,000 olive trees to replace the ones lost by the recent devastating fires in the surrounding of Ancient Olympia, Greece.

The Arete Fund is participating a multi-national effort to restore many thousands of olive trees to Olympia, Greece, without which thousands of small farmers and their families are deprived of their livelihood, our earth receives another body blow due to the effects of climate change, and we, from many parts of the world, are reminded of the fragility of our symbols and their potency to empower or diminish us when we turn away from their light or allow our faces shine in their glow.

The olive tree is such a symbol; from ancient Greece, the olive tree has been a symbol of peace and friendship throughout the millennia, and may it always be so.

The Arete Fund has created a crowd-funding site to purchase approximately 80,000-100,000 olive trees surrounding Ancient Olympia. This new root stock will replace the trees lost in the devastating fires this summer. The roots of the burned olive trees need to be uprooted and the soil treated and fertilized. The estimated cost of the Project will be 750,000 to 900,000 euros. The planting of the new root stock will ideally take place between February and March 2022.

Now is the time to act while this tragedy is still fresh in the hearts and minds of those who love, respect, and appreciate Greece.

The Arete Fund (a 501c(3) corporation) will collect tax deductible donations from U.S. Donors. These funds will be sent directly to an account of the non-profit society under the name “International Relations of Culture” in Greece. “IRC”, will then find and buy the new root stock with the assistance of a team of agronomists and agricultural landscape specialists (the “Project Team”).

Our agile, capable, and committed team will act with urgency and compassion:

  • Deborah Wince Smith, President of US Competitiveness Council – team lead,
  • Dianne de Laet, Founder, Arete Fund – team lead,
  • Steve de Laet, Director, Arete Fund - team lead, content creator, site developer,
  • Marian Hubler – promotion, FB page developer and administrator,
  • Marilynne Morshead – advisor, editor, activator,
  • Connie Hawkins – a Greek American from Tegea who is active in the Greek Orthodox community, advisor, fundraising, and outreach,
  • Kelly Tittle, founder and director of Fourteen Productions, video editing,
  • Yanos Gramatidis, senior partner of Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners, will be team member and the local coordinator of the Project in Greece,
  • Zozo Lidoriki, President of IRC – team member.

The overall project is under the auspices of Nektarios Farmakis, Head of Region of Western Greece, and George Georgiopoulos, Mayor of Ancient Olympia.

Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners, a leading Greek law firm, exclusive member Firm for Greece of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, is acting as legal advisors to the project, working pro bono.

RSM Greece, a leading Greek auditing firm, is acting as auditors to the project, working pro bono.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the above significant fundraising project with your donation to the following website:  www.olympia-trees.com

Thanking you in anticipation for your valuable contribution.

Warmest regards

Yanos Gramatidis
Partner, Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners Law Firm