The “other side” of UProtectNZ Insurance Services: Music as a means of giving back to our community
While we, at UProtectNZ Insurance Services (Theo & Cristina Simeonidis – co-owners and insurance specialists at UProtectNZ Insurance Services) take a lot of pride in the quality insurance advice, service, support and advocacy we provide for our clients on the Hibiscus Coast, that is not the only way that we enjoy serving our Rodney community. A great personal passion that we share is performing, as Sounds of Greece, Greek music and dance and enabling many people to enjoy a cultural experience that they may have never encountered before.
As Convenor and Sponsor of the annual Greek Extravaganza fundraiser for the Hibiscus Coast Hospice, organised under the auspices of the Rotary satellite Club of Orewa-Millwater, it is a thrill to be able to give back to our community, alongside many Rotary and Harbour Hospice volunteers. To date the Greek Extravaganza has raised over $44,000 for Hospice, and from this year’s event on 5 December, we are aiming to raise for another $30,000.
Why do we love performing music? Simply, music is an international language of peace. No matter one’s race, ethnicity, politics or socio-economic status, music can touch the heart of anyone and everyone, as it has done for centuries.
That was illustrated repeatedly to me during the time I owned and operated my award-winning food and music hospitality business, Theo’s Greek Taverna in Wellington. Weekends featured our musical trio, comprising bouzouki, guitar and mandolin. It was wonderful to behold the way that our beautiful Greek music touched the hearts of all who came, even those who had never before experienced such music.
The power of the international language of music was highlighted to me one special night that is permanently etched on my mind. While performing a Russian folk song, Katyusha, a Japanese gentleman, who had been seated close-by and was and listening intently, came rushing up to the stage, feverishly pointing at the microphone. I sensed that he wanted to sing. He joyfully jumped onto the stage, grabbed the microphone and proceeded to sing with passion. So there we were: in my Greek taverna, performing a Russian folk song, being sung in Japanese!
That was truly a heart-warming moment: neither of us could understand a single word that the other spoke, but the music connected us and interpreted for us. Perhaps if some of the boorish world leaders could make more effort to build cultural relationships between countries, the world might be a more secure and accommodating place.
My motto? “When I’m travelling overseas, I always take my mandolin with me as interpreter. It speaks every language on Earth”.
Financial and insurance services from Millwater
So, what’s this got to do with insurance advice? Probably not a lot! However, you can be assured that when it comes to insurance services we are proud and passionate about the quality of the insurance and financial services we provide to our Orewa community – but don’t take our word for it: check out the testimonials on our web site, Facebook page and Google page. They tell the story!
It’s what we do!