Summary

Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis has issued an urgent appeal for residents to bring food and essential supplies to the 4th Festival of the Cretan Diaspora in Georgioupolis on August 3, 2026, starting at 8 pm, in response to the catastrophic wildfires that have destroyed homes and livelihoods across the municipalities of Agios Vasileios and Amari. Two firefighters lost their lives in the blaze. Representatives from the Municipality of Apokoronas, the Apantachou Kretes organisation, and the Charilaos association will personally deliver all donated goods to the affected families.

Apokoronas turns festival night into relief drive for wildfire victims

A wildfire has torn through the municipalities of Agios Vasileios and Amari in Crete, leaving behind scenes of total devastation: burned homes, destroyed livelihoods, and the loss of two firefighters who gave their lives protecting others. In response, Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis is calling on every resident of Apokoronas to act — not just to grieve.

What is happening

The 4th Festival of the Cretan Diaspora, held every year in Georgioupolis, will this year double as a major relief collection drive. The Municipality of Apokoronas is joining forces with the "Apantachou Kretes" organisation and the "Charilaos" association to gather food and essential goods from anyone who attends. After the event, representatives from all three organisations will transport the donations directly to the fire-hit communities.

When and where

Date: Monday, August 3, 2026

Time: From 8:00 pm

Location: Georgioupolis, Apokoronas

What to bring

The organisers are asking for practical, non-perishable items. Every contribution matters, however small:

Water: Bottled drinking water

Dairy: Evaporated milk and long-life milk

Baby supplies: Baby food and infant care products

Staples: Pasta, rice, pulses, flour, sugar, salt

Oil: Olive oil

Tinned food: Any variety

Dry bakery goods: Rusks, crispbreads, biscuits

Breakfast and drinks: Cereals, coffee, tea, juice

Personal hygiene: Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes

Household paper: Toilet paper, kitchen roll, wet wipes

Cleaning products: Detergents and household cleaners

Nappies: For babies and adults

Animal feed: For pets and livestock

Why it matters

Families in Agios Vasileios and Amari lost years of work in a matter of hours. Formal state support takes time to arrive. This collection is about making sure people have what they need right now. The mayor's message is clear: the size of your donation is not what counts — what counts is that nobody stays away from this chain of solidarity.

Come for the festival. Leave having made a difference.

Press Release – Appeal by the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalampos Koukianakis

August 3, 2026, 8:44 AM

The tragedy that struck the municipalities of Agios Vasileios and Amari left behind incalculable destruction, burned properties, people who lost in a matter of hours the labour of a lifetime, and above all two firefighters who fell in the line of duty, giving their last breath to protect their fellow human beings and our land.

In the face of such a trial, words are not enough. Actions are needed.

As Mayor of Apokoronas, I appeal to every fellow citizen to stand by the people who are being tested today. Let us show, once again, that Crete knows how to unite when pain knocks at the door of a place.

The Municipality of Apokoronas, the Apantachou Kretes organisation, and the "Charilaos" association are joining forces and, as part of the 4th Festival of the Cretan Diaspora, which will take place on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 8:00 pm in Georgioupolis, Apokoronas, we will collect food and essential items, which representatives of the three bodies will transport and deliver to the fire-affected residents of the areas that were hit.

We are collecting, among other things:

Bottled water
Evaporated milk and long-life milk
Baby food and infant products
Pasta, rice, pulses
Flour, sugar, salt
Olive oil
Tinned goods of all kinds
Rusks, crispbreads, biscuits
Cereals
Coffee, tea and juices
Personal hygiene products (soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, toothbrushes)
Toilet paper, kitchen roll and wet wipes
Detergents and cleaning products
Baby nappies and adult incontinence products
Animal feed for pets and livestock

I call on you to all be there. Let each person give what they can. The size of the contribution does not matter; what matters is that no one is absent from this great chain of solidarity.

Let us make our presence at the 4th Festival of the Cretan Diaspora an act of love and responsibility. Let us transform our emotion into an offering. Let us all together fill a load of hope for the people who have lost so much, and let us prove that when Crete unites, no one is left alone.

With respect,

The Mayor of Apokoronas Charalampos Koukianakis