SOMERSET – A vendor gives a bar of olive oil soap to an ancient Greek history professor.
A baker named Dionysus prepares 200 extra loaves of bread to feed fleeing Syrian refugees.
From small gestures of kindness towards a stranger to the bravery and courage of the proud Greek people and their Prime Minister to say “oxi” or “no” to Mussolini’s Axis when asked to stand. 75 years ago are all examples of “philotimo,” wrote Somerset Berkley Regional High School sophomore Casey Arruda. “Philotimo” is a Greek name that roughly translates to “love of honor.”
These words were part of her winning scholarship essay, which was recognized in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, October 28 – the anniversary of Oxi Day.
This “resounding oxi” launched by Greece on October 28, 1940 “helped change the course of the Second World War and reshape history. It was Philotimo who stopped my Papou (grandfather) from revealing to the German troops where he had hidden the British paratroopers who landed in the field next to the family farm. He never gave in despite threats of being shot,” wrote Arruda, 16, describing what this cherished Greek word means to him. Arruda is the son of Drs. Keith and Eudoxia Arruda of 180 Fairway Drive , Somerset.
“From a young age, my parents taught my sister and I the importance of giving back to our community and making a difference,” Arruda wrote.
He said those teachings inspired him and his younger sister, Lindsey, 13, an eighth-grader at Somerset Middle School, to collect 400 pairs of glasses for Haiti earthquake victims. donated 365 books to inner-city children in Washington, DC and raised funds. $11,000 for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing by designing and selling the iconic “Boston Strong” bracelets and establishing a charitable foundation.
“Our mother, a first-generation Greek-American and U.S. Navy veteran, helped instill in us a sense of honor, duty and pride in our Greek-American heritage. She taught us that philotimo is not just another Greek word, but a way of life that defines who we are as people,” wrote Arruda, who was joined by his mother at the Oxi Day event.
At the black-tie gala Wednesday evening, the Oxi Foundation’s top prize awarded to Arruda came with a $2,000 scholarship and an invitation. Four other scholarships were awarded in a competition open to Greek-American students in grades 6-12, awarded for the best description of philotimo in 500 words or less.
At the fifth annual Oxi Day celebration, the Oxi Day award was given to Khalil al-Dakhi, an Iraqi lawyer turned activist “who dedicated his life to saving women and children captured by ISIS as sex slaves.
A year ago, the prize was awarded posthumously to American journalist James Foley, the first American publicly executed by ISIS. His parents, Diane and John Foley, accepted the award recognizing their son’s courage.
Among other Oxi Foundation awards presented Wednesday evening was a “Greatest Generation Award” given to John Glenn, a 94-year-old former astronaut and U.S. senator, and several other distinguished honorees from around the world.
Casey Arruda’s story of a proud Greek salesman giving a bar of soap to a man who taught ancient Greek culture was a story about Casey’s father, who teaches ancient Greek history at Berkley Middle School. His father began teaching after a career as an ophthalmologist.
“Philotimo is what drives ordinary people to do extraordinary things, all in the name of love and honor,” the son writes in his essay.
“My sister and I are fortunate to have grown up in a culture that not only values the virtues of philotimo, but also encourages them. For me, philotimo is how we treat each other when no one is watching,” Arruda said.
Back home, Lindsey was with her father. She spoke proudly of her older brother. “My mother tells me he is very nervous,” she said. “He doesn’t really like being in the spotlight even though he loves helping people.”
