A crowd of about 100,000 Greek Americans waving Greek flags marched on Sunday, April 26, 2009 at the annual Greek Independence Day parade in Manhattan, under clear skies and record high temperatures.

Prior to the Greek Independence Day Parade of Fifth Avenue in New York, Greek Defense Minister Meimarakis addressed a message of unity and love from Greece at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Aghia Triada.

The change of the guard at the White House is a challenge for Greek-Americans to boost their efforts for vindication of the national issues of Hellenism, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America, Dimitrios, stressed in his message last Friday at the Terrace on the Park in New York.

"The 1821 Revolution began with a Friendly Society - a group of patriots, who did not forget their roots, their religion, their country", said Illinois State Treasurer Alexis Giannoulias, during an official dinner last Saturday evening, organised by the Federation of Greek Associations of Greater New York, held at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan.

A unique event held just hours before the large scale parade on Fifth Avenue commemorating Greek Independence Day took place in Astoria. The event included dance groups from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut giving spectators at Athens Square on 30th Avenue a high powered performance full of Greece.