Marianna Vardinogiannis, a renowned philanthropist and advocate for children's rights, has sadly passed away at the age of 80.
Throughout her lifetime, she dedicated herself to various charitable causes and organizations. She founded and served as the President of the "Foundation for the Child and the Family," an organization that later became known as the "Marianna V. Vardinogianni Foundation." In addition, she was actively involved with the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer, known as "ELPIDA."
One of her notable roles was as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, a position she held from 1999. In this capacity, Marianna worked tirelessly to champion the rights and protection of children, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage.
Marianna Vardinogiannis's dedication extended beyond UNESCO. She was a member of the Library of Alexandria, the International Women's Movement for Peace, the International Center for Missing and Abused Children (ICMEC), and the Mentor Anti-Drug Foundation. She was also a founding member of the "Light of Africa" Foundation and served on the Presidential Council of "Special Olympics Europe-Eurasia," among other notable positions.
Born in Athens in 1943, Marianna grew up in Ermioni, the hometown of her mother, Evangelia. Her father, Giorgos Bournakis, hailed from Sambatiki in Arcadia. Marianna pursued her higher education at the University of Denver, Colorado, where she studied economics.
Marianna Vardinogiannis was married to Vardis I. Vardinogiannis, the president of Motor Oil and a ship owner. Together, they had five children: Giannis (1962), Christiana (1964), George (1967), Nikos (1974), and Vardianna (1976).
Marianna's legacy is that of a compassionate and influential figure in both national and international philanthropy. Her efforts have touched countless lives, and she will be remembered for her unwavering dedication to making the world a better place for children and families in need.
(A detailed biography of her life and activities may be found on the Elpida site, in English, https://elpida.org/en/mvv-en/.)
Condolences
Messages of condolences were sent to the family by President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, and former President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
