The Carnival of Love Foundation

The Single SuperMOM

Elena Kess — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:07:09 +0000

This is my friend’s Ali’s story. Those of us that have known Ali for years have always known she was a balls to the wall kind of girl.

Now the rest of the world knows too

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-ruhling/astoria-characters-the-si_2_b_853929.html

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The Raffle Items!!!

Elena Kess — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:20:13 +0000

We have over 50 raffle items! Thank you to EVERYONE who donated!!!!

We have THOUSANDS of $$ of raffle items and we are thankful for everyone that has donated and for everyone that will purchase raffles.

Good Luck! And the raffle items are:

3 nights stay at Seasons Villa in Kefalonia, Greece Value $750 Euro by Zoe Gnesoulis **restrictions apply **
Steve Madden Gift Card Value $500 by Steve Madden
2 Cases Tsantali Metohi Wine Value $300 by Dennisia Slabakis
Custom Bleaching Kit Value $400 by Dr. Davantzis
Zoom Bleaching Kit Value $400 by Dr. Iliades, Queens Family Dental
Custom made Golf Club Driver Value $400 by Procustomclubs.com
3 signed Elli Kokkinou CD’s Value?? by Elli Kokkinou
Dinner Gift Certificate Value $100 by Christos Steakhouse
Kidz Yoga Gift Certificate Value $100 by Kidz Yoga
Custom Necklace Value $75 by Fotini Designs
Dinner Gift Certificate Value $50 by Jackson Hole
Basket of Arbonne Products Value $100 by Maria Stavrou
Passion Party Basket Value $125 by Kristie Sclafani
2 Anna Vissi Concert Tix at Foxwoods Value $170 by Pathos Inc
Sushi Dinner for 2 Value $100 by Central
CD Basket Value $75 by GMV
Little Soaop Gift Basket Value $50 by Vivian Dritsas
Dinner Gift Certificate Value $60 by Zenon
Dinner Gift Certificate Value $100 by Aegaen Cove
Rafiki Dress Value $536 by Kleonikh
Mikaihli Jacket Value $640 by Kleonikh
Anthesis Organic Skin Care Basket Value $100 by Anthesis
Hair Product Basket Value $200 by Christo Salon 5th Ave
Necklace/Earring Set Value $75 by Kokalaki Jewelry
Dinner with Wines Value $200 by Thalassa
Gift Card Value $50 by The Burger Spot
Gift Card Value $25 by The Burger Spot
Set of 4 autographed Loukoumi Books Value $40 by Nick Katsoris
Family Portrait Session Value $200 by Brett Mathews Photography
Gift Card Value $100 by Pita Pan
Gift Card Value $50 by Martha’s Bakery
Hair Services Value $50 by Hair on 14
Lash Dipping Value $65 by Euphoria Beauty Lounge
Cut and Blow Dry Value $50 by Euphoria Beauty Lounge
Cut and Blow Dry Value $50 by Euphoria Beauty Lounge
Mini Facial Value $60 by Euphoria Beauty Lounge
Mini Facial Value $60 by Euphoria Beauty Lounge

and many more!!!!!!!!!

1 raffle for $5

5 raffles for $20

By my unprofessional mathematical calculations you all have some excellent chances to win something

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Meet The Sponsors !!!!!!

Elena Kess — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:56:18 +0000

The 2011 Carnival of Love could not have come to you without the support and funding ($$$) of the following:

Platinum Partners:

Antenna Satellite
Central Lounge
Elias Karalekas Insurance
Home Tile Center
Vareli Restaurant

Gold Sponsors:

Bell Dental
Envee Salon
Grand Cafe
Kyklades
Marathon Energy
Mexi Q
Mitchell’s Restaurant

Silver Sponsors:

Agnanti Restaurant
Alex and Eve Occassions
Apostolatos CPA
CitiView Pharmacy
Dr. Arapides, foot doctor
Dr. Avgerinos, chiropractor
Dr. Rallis, dentist
Eagle 1 Mechanical
First Investors Corp./ Sophia Bliablias
Fresh Foods Market
Friend and Family of Antonio Daskalakis
Gentle Touch Hair Removal
Hissa Reshad & Manny Kess
K&K Auto Body & Tire Centers
Kellari Taverna
Rio (Pace U Class)
Mamais Construction
Millennium Toyota
Ovelia Psistaria
Patricia’s Hair Extensions Salon
Queens Painting
Theramotion
Tsunis Family Foundation
Tsunis, Gasparis, Lustig & Ring LLP
Unique Motor Sports

We could not have done this without all your support and your graciousness of open up your checkbooks

Please support The Carnival of Love Sponsors!!!! They are funding the party of the year which we are bringing to you on Friday, April 29th @ Central.

ARE YOU READY???????

Meet The Team It’s about that time you guys meet the FANTASTIC team...

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A Mother’s Instinct…

Elena Kess — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:43:20 +0000

Read below for a true story submitted by my friend Margarita Daskalakis about her journey with her son Antonio who is autistic. If you want to submit your story please do so at Elena@carnivaloflove.org Special Thank You to Peter Giannakas for his blog suggestions

This is Margarita’s story in her own words:

Antonio Daskalakis’s Story

In July of 2007, I found out I was pregnant with baby number 2. I can recall being excited and nervous all at the same time. It was not so long ago that my husband and I had our first baby, our little Eleni, when here we were getting ready for what we found out to be our little baby boy Antonio. Antonio was born in February and he was such a good, calm baby. He slept through the night by 8 weeks old and only cried if he was hungry or tired. Antonio seemed to be a content child so why did I have this voice in my head saying something was wrong? I tried to ignore the worries and told myself that all moms feel this way. He was such a good baby yet I could not help but wonder why I was looking for something to be wrong. As the months went by the concern was becoming warranted. Antonio was not rolling over, he was very stiff, and other little things that really no one else seemed to be bothered by. My pediatrician said, “stop worrying; he is a boy and they develop slower.” My family also thought I was over thinking things. “Stop worrying,” they would say, “Antonio is fine and a happy little boy.” I wish it was that easy for me. I tried to push the worry aside but by the time he was 7 months old he was still not progressing the way I thought he should. So I again voiced my concerns. It was at that point my pediatrician sent a referral to Early Intervention. Our journey was just getting started. At nine months old we started with physical and occupational therapy. I felt better knowing something was being done but I was still not satisfied. As the months continued to go by Antonio should have been doing more than he was. He was not really babbling even though he made great eye contact. We went to a neurologist who told us to keep up with the Early Intervention and it was too early to say anything else. When he turned 12 months old I was determined to get him speech therapy. The first speech therapist felt he was doing fine and it was to soon to begin. I was confused why I was the only one seeing that there was something wrong. I was determined to first figure out what was wrong and do whatever needed to be done to help Antonio. I read everything I could get my hands on, spoke to everyone that I thought could help me, and was persistent in my quest help him. I was also fortunate that I had many people in the education field to talk to and voice my concerns to. It was at that point that I started to suspect that Antonio was Autistic. My cousin Irene is a Behavioral Analyst. She became my “go to” person for the 20 million questions I had. I finally got him approved for speech therapy and then went back to the neurologist. It was at that point that Antonio received his diagnosis. The neurologist confirmed what I had known all along. “Your son doesn’t exactly fit the criteria of being classically Autistic, however he does have some of the characteristics. The diagnosis is PDD-NOS. Although I knew this for some time, I thought, “WOW! This is real.” I had two choices: I could let this effect me emotionally, or I could get myself in high gear and help Antonio. Again I spoke to everyone I could, I researched and learned that TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!!!!!! The human brain can be changed from the ages of 0-5 years old. Antonio was 18 months and so time was on our side. I reflected for a moment and thought God was that voice of concern for all those months. I felt so grateful that I listened!!! I started to form my dream team of therapist. These wonderful people worked with me to help Antonio to be the best that he can be. I know that Antonio would not be doing as well as he is if we did not start all of these therapies this early. He now receives close to 30 hours of therapy per week; some adults do not work as hard as he does (Ha Ha Ha). I also have to give his best teacher a special thank you, big sister Eleni. I couldn’t have asked for a better role model, thank you!!!!
This is my story, just one in a story of millions. Millions of people are affected by Autism. Millions of families and friends are affected by the impact it has on the people they love. I love you Antonio and Eleni and will always be the person standing in your corner telling you to keep fighting for yourself and to be the happiest that you can be!!!

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Meet The Teens !!!

Elena Kess — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:49:55 +0000

Happy Monday Everyone!! Hope everyone had a nice weekend. The Carnivalians were posting posters all weekend long. Have u seen us? 30th Avenue and Ditmars were bombarded with flyers and posters as was Bayside! I wanted to give a special thank you to the following people who aren’t part of The Carnival Board yet chose to volunteer their time on Sunday. Gus Milonakis, Chris Katechis and my very own “fake kid” Nicollette Argiriou! We couldn’t of done it with out you and we really appreciate the time you took to make our presence known! You see….everyone leaves a love print…the feeling is contagious. Nicollette is a 14 year old instead of being at the mall with her friends or playing video games she chose to spend the day doing charity work. I find that very honorable and selfless. Remember when you were 14 and how much you resisted parental guidance. I’d like to also mention that we (fake kid and I) attended another fellow charity on Saturday- The Pajama Program spearheaded by my good friend Maria Delgado is association with Tina Mavrelis’ Kidz Yoga Center. We had a great time playing games with the kids and doing yoga while in our pajamas. The event was a success with a bunch of pajamas and books raised to help a child in need. Its always a pleasure to help out fellow charities as we all share a common goal: To Help Those In Need!

On the day of the Greek Parade we also had a group of young kids handing out flyers, t-shirts and posters. This Greek Parade volunteer group consisted of: Joanna Manoloudas, 17, Steffan Dames, 18, Angela Gavalas, 24, and Matthew Felix, 17, Aleksandra Vemis, 24. They were so cute the took a shopping cart and posted posters on it and made it into a little Carnival of Love custom shopping machine equipped with an Ipod blaring greek music. (leave it to kids hahaha). So Iguess what I am trying to say is that we keep your kids off the streets and teach them to do something worthwhile with their time (plus the labor comes cheap) No seriously, you are never too young to be taught good values, morals, self lessness and overall awareness of those in need. Thank you to all the teens that are starting young and one day will hopefully sit on this Board in years to come <3

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Every little thing is BIG

Elena Kess — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:08:45 +0000

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!! This weekend be on the look out for The Carnivalians! We will be hitting the streets of Queens posting posters, handing out flyers etc. If you want to be a volunteer Poster Boy/Girl please contact your nearest Carnivalian. Every little bit helps….any and all ideas are welcome. We will be meeting outside Ovelia at 12:30 this Sunday!!! Be there with your frappes in hand <3

I want to leave you with something to ponder over the weekend….What have you done lately? Have you made a donation to any cause? Have you volunteered your time to a cause? Have you given spare change to the homeless guy outside Starbucks? Have you donated blood to the NY Blood Center? Have you painted a school or donated coats to NY Cares Day? The blood you give will save a life! The coat you donate will keep someone warm. Just give from the heart and there will be a receiver out there with outstretched hands and blessings in their heart.

The list is endless people…i’ll tell you a little secret….” every little thing is big” If you can not afford to give up your time or money there are other ways to help someone in need. There are other ways to be a better person. Its called looking outside the box and selflessness. Instead of taking your hour lunch break shopping or having a fancy lunch why dont you grab a sandwich to go and eat it at your nearest blood donor center? Locations are all over the city.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! Please try to do something “little” make this world we live in just a little bit better.

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Meet The Team

Elena Kess — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:30:48 +0000

It’s about that time you guys meet the FANTASTIC team that’s bringing you The Carnival 2011!! This team is composed of a few very special individuals that are all about Carnival, Carnival, Carnival!!! Do you have any idea what it takes to think of a theme, propose it to the board members, agree on something, find vendors, check availabilities, get prices, get better prices, scratch ideas, re-think better ones, agree on all vendors, and bring to you the baddest party in Queens? im tired just thinking of it…This Team sends about 30 emails a day, 30 bbm’s (i go through crackberries like a baby goes through diapers) endless phone calls, meetings, events, guys I’m telling you it’s exhausting. Let’s not forget we are all VOLUNTEERS. We have day jobs, families, significant others but all these take a back seat during carnival time. Last night the meeting ran till midnight and all the ”hubbies” started calling our phones saying ” hey is the Carnival tonite? where are you so late?” hahahaa oh men…..So please take into consideration all the hard work and positive energy that goes into a one night only event. Kinda like a wedding for those of you that have been down that route…and now without further ado, i bring to you The TEAM!!!!

Dennisia Slabakis, Co-Founder/President (The Mad Hatter)

Despina Manoloudas, VP (The Legal One)

Maria Sakellis, Co-Founder/ Treasurer ( Prom Queen)

Stacey Theofanis, Secretary (The Minutes)

Board Members:

Georgia (Half-Pint) Gavalas

Elias (The Crown) Karalekas

Elena (Director of Wealth Management) Kess

Maria Kitsios

Alex Krokos

Nikki (Brooklyn) Krokos

Nick (The Judge) Neocleous

Jimmy (I just found out April is Autism Awareness Month) Panagiotou

Ellie (I’ll get it Wholesale) Zoumberakis

*** Thomas Kikis is our web designer, graphic designer, and all in all our technical guru ***

We put in the time. We have poured our every fiber into this one event. Please help us help the children. You can help us by:

- sponsorships

- donations

- attendance 4/29/11

- advance ticket sales

- raffles

- email blasts

- facebook & twitter love

We all have it in us to do some good. Sometimes we just need a little push. So here you go Push Push let me know if you also need a Shove….

On behalf of The Board Members of The Carnival of Love Foundation, Thank You for all the support !!!

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Lets Go METS !!!!!!

Elena Kess — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:58:32 +0000

I wish my excitement came through the internet waves. I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to The New York Mets!!!!! (Big Ups to the best borough QUEENS) hee hee Thank you to Raquel Espinoza and to my favorite brother Manny Kess (even though she’s in Chicago & he’s in Vegas) worked their contacts and had The Mets care about our little foundation. How awesome is that? The Mets have come forth and donated the following: 1 game used base, 4 field levels tickets for any game in May, and 1 signed Darryl Strawberry baseball!! Wowza! Fun Fact: My daddy took me to a Mets vs. Phillies game in 1986 where Strawberry and Dykstra both hit home runs in that game. Maybe I should bet on this ball due to the sentimental value. Hmmmmm can I do that? haha I am completely stunned at the outpour of love and support from so many organizations within and outside the community. This event is going to be HUGE! So many exciting raffle prizes, possible silent auctions, special guests and the theme is still a secret…Can you keep a secret? Better yet you’ll find out on Friday, April 29th…..Be There!!!

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The Inception

Elena Kess — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:48:18 +0000

Do you know the story of how The Carnival of Love began? A group of girls got together and wanted to make a difference. Sounds simple doesnt it? How many of us have a dream we never act on? How many of us want to do something but we procrastinate. How many of us want to start the gym, clean the closet or never get around to starting the guitar lessons we always wanted? So i ask you, how easy do you think it is to start a non-profit organization from scratch? This foundation wasn’t piggy backed on any other. It was thought of, set forth and actually put into motion by a group of girls with a vision to help children in need. Pretty amazing isnt it? And to see this dream touching so many lives and where it is 4 years later is pretty astonishing. It takes a lot of hard work and vigor to get off the couch and make a difference and not only has a difference been made but there has been a positive impact. I have been affected with the love print and I am trying to infect others with my affliction. If we all just stop procrastinating, stop worrying about tomorrow, make every day count and try in any way possible to help someone in need, i promise you the feeling is inexplanable. Everyone on this team is walking around in a state of euphoria. Crazy I know, the hours are exhausting but to help make a vision a reality…..there is no better feeling of accomplishment. So i leave you to think about donating even something minimal, attending the event or just go get those guitar lessons you always wanted.

Spread the word, spread the love…..you can leave a love print every day…..all you have to do is get off the couch.

This is Elena Kess, former couch potatoe and fellow do-gooder

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Let’s not forget the siblings

Elena Kess — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:18:38 +0000

Hey guys its me again Do you have a brother? a sister? Both? Have you ever felt a pang of jealousy because your sibling got better grades, was a better athlete or in general out shone you? I know what I’m talking about, I’m known as Manny’s sister hahaha In all seriousness I would like you all to think if you were the sibling to an autistic child. Although an autistic child can be absolutely BRILLIANT they require special care, patience and over all more attention than a non-autistic child. As an adult i would imagine that i would understand my parents giving my special needs sibling the added attention required however as a child i do not think i would understand. As humans we have feelings, emotions and sensitivities, as children we have all the above but we do not possess the knowledge to understand certain things. That is where the saying ” through a child’s eyes” comes into play. A child is innocent, naive and full of unbiased love. I just wanted to dedicate this blog to all the siblings of a special needs child. You are not neglected or forgotten. You matter, we care, you are just more able to stand on your own. A mother loves all her children equally, never forget that. XoXo – El

If you haven’t already rent the movie ” My name is Khan ” Highly recommended

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