The Michael N. Stassinopoulos – VIOHALCO (MSVF) Public Benefit Foundation:

  • Conducts First Aid seminars, in cooperation with specialised bodies – Greek Red Cross, PNOE.
  • Organises lectures on medical, historical and general interest subjects, as well as plays and concerts for all age groups.
  • Carries out check-ups for school pupils (eye, dental, ENT, nutrition).
  • Organises field trips, tours, visits to museums, etc. for adults.
  • Supports sports and cultural associations in Tegea.
  • In 2017 it sponsored a play-adaptation of the short story by Dr Dimitris Samaras titled “My Smart Spoon”, which was presented at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center to celebrate World Heart Day.
  • Since 2016, the Michael N. Stassinopoulos – VIOHALCO (MSVF) Public Benefit Foundation has been supporting the HEART II – THE TRUTH ABOUT SMOKING programme for the Arcadia Region, which aims at informing the pupil communities of its schools in a timely and proper manner.

This programme, which is aimed at preventing the consequences of smoking in the pupil community, is funded by Mr Georgios Behrakis, and specifically the Behrakis Foundation in Boston. Through the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), it carries out research and educational activities for the reduction of smoking in our country, placing particular focus on school age children. Scientific Coordinator of the Programme in Greece is Mr Panagiotis Behrakis (MD, PhD (McGill), FCCP, BRFAA Researcher, Adjunct Professor at Harvard University, President of the National Committee for Controlling Smoking of the Ministry of Health).

This Center studies the effects of active and passive smoking on the respiratory system.

The main activities of the HEART II programme include conferences, seminars, preventive interventions in relation to smoking for pupils and adults, etc. To this end, three reception areas have been created, one in Athens, one in Thessaloniki and one in Tegea, Arcadia.

The intervention lasts for two academic hours and pupils taking part have the opportunity to be informed in a reliable and scientific manner about the harmful effects of smoking, while also taking the responsibility to protect themselves against this harmful addiction. Since 2016, when the programme was introduced in Tegea, and to this day, a large number of children have taken part.

The Foundation, which substantially contributes to the task of providing proper information, received an honorary plaque in 2018 from Georgios Behrakis for its long-term contribution and support to the educational activities of SmokefreeGreece, which are being carried out in the schools of Arcadia.