Charitable Aims

HELP US TO HELP... We are a not-for profit organization and are endorsed as a tax exempt charity. Our aim is to donate any operating surplus to charity.

Our PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARY has been the Murdoch Children's Research Institute at the Royal Children's Hospital and the research work into thalassaemia being undertaken by its Cell & Gene Therapy Unit. This is a major project, initiated by Professor Bob Williamson and the late Professor Panos Ioannou (see below) and now under the control of Dr Jim Vadolas and one of great significance to thalassaemia sufferers worldwide.

Following our six successful events we made regular donations to the Cell & Gene Therapy Unit and we look forward to further support of the leading-edge research work being undertaken at the Murdoch Children's Research Unit through our 2009 event.

November 2008; After presenting the 2008 donation, Maria Triantafillou (l) with Sotiris Katakouzinas , Dr Jim Vadolas, Eugenia Mitrakas, Jenny Mikakos MP and Elli Papasavas. November 2007; The Hon John Pandazopoluos MP (l) and Eugenia Mitrakas present the Kos 2007 donation to the Murdoch's Jim Vadolas August 2006; Jenny Mikakos (left) and Eugenia Mitrakas present the Masterclass 2006 donation to Jane Fenton (Murdoch Director) and Dr Jim Vadolas (Thalassaemia Unit). December 2005; Dr Jim Vadolas (right) receives the $10,000 cheque on behalf of the Murdoch Thalassaemia Institute, from Eugenia Mitrakas (second from right) and Senator Rod Kemp (left) From THE GREEK CONFERENCE 2004 and MASTERCLASS 2004 we supported the Cell & Gene Therapy Unit at the Royal Children's Hospital for research into thalassaemia and the Greek Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre.Our presentation at MASTERCLASS 2004 (left to right), Panos Margaritis (sponsor - Parthenon Marble); Eugenia Mitrakas (Chairman of The Greek Conference); the late Professor Panos Ioannou (Royal Children's Hospital); Matthew Taylor (sponsor - National Australia Bank); and John Marakis (sponsor - National Bank of Greece)

We also appreciate contributions we have received from our leading sponsors:

Professor Panos Ioannou We deeply regret the loss of Professor Panos Ioannou, who died after a battle with cancer in April 2005. We very much appreciated the contribution from Panos, including as a lead speaker at MASTERCLASS 2004, but look forward to continuing to support his quest for a cure to the blood disorder of thalassaemia. Panos led the Cell and Gene Therapy Unit at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. He was an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne and also a Senior Scientist with the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics. A Fellow with the WHO and UNESCO, he directed the research programme into thalasseamia.