Gala dinner brings Special Olympics supporters and friends together (From left to right) Zhou Taitong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai and Executive Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer; Georgios Orfanos, Greece's Deputy Minister of Culture responsible for Sports Games; Joanna Despotopoulou, President, Special Olympics Greece; and Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics Chairman at the Gala Dinner. On the night of 28 June, a gala dinner for 350 guests was held at the Nasioutzik Museum. The museum, located 16 km from Athens on a 12-acre hillside estate, contains over 2,000 works of art including precious Byzantine icons. The evening was hosted by Joanna Despotopoulou, President, Special Olympics Greece, and members of the Board of Special Olympics Greece, and held in honor of Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver and Zhou Taitong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai and Executive Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. “We come to Athens to celebrate a simple Flame that carries a powerful message of hope to millions of people around the world,” Shriver said. Among the senior Greek officials attending were Georgios Orfanos, Greece's Deputy Minister of Culture responsible for Sports, and Vangelis Antonaros, Chief Government Spokesperson; and state secretary generals of Tourism, Health, Sports, Communications and Defense. Return to main Athens story