Gyros for heroes at Greek Orthodox church in Concord

CONCORD, CA (Oct. 18, 2021) —When it became clear that St. Demetrios church would once again have to postpone their annual Greek festival this year, its leaders decided to take action.

The Greek Orthodox church channeled their energy to show their appreciation for local firefighters. Their Gyros for Heroes effort honored 60 firefighters who worked tirelessly out of the five fire stations in Concord and Clayton during the current wildfire season.

The weekend of Oct. 9 and 10 saw one crew of parishioners preparing the fixings for the gyros in individual cartons. Then, 24 hours later, more parishioners worked the grills to ready the pita bread and meat to complete each care package ahead of their early afternoon deliveries to the area fire stations.

In addition to honoring those serving on the front lines, Fr. Michael Slate used this collective effort to recognize the resilience of his congregation to weather the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic with a Parish Appreciation Day meal following the Oct. 10 Mass.

St. Demetrios’ two crab feeds and two Greek Festivals, both major fundraisers that support its programs and activities were cancelled due to continued concerns surrounding the pandemic. Fr. Slate is optimistic about the resumption of at least one of these events in 2022.

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church is located at 1955 Kirker Pass Rd. in Concord.