Doros and Ellada Hadjisavva know what it’s like to ask for help from others. When their infant son, Yiorgos, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in 2007, Louisville’s Ronald McDonald House provided the Cyprus natives with temporary shelter and support while their now-healthy 7-year-old received medical care.
Since then, the Hadjisavvas, of Henderson, Ky., have worked to give back to a number of local organizations, including Evansville’s own Ronald McDonald House. “Doros makes a commitment to take food to the families who are guests on a weekly basis,” Ellada says of the facility that was opened in 2010.
The couple moved to the United States to attend college in the early 1990s. Ellada’s father had a friend who lived in Owensboro, Ky., home to Brescia University. That’s where she received her bachelor’s degree in foreign languages. Doros joined Ellada in Kentucky after earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
Doros, 42, and Ellada, 38, opened The Acropolis in Evansville with Ellada’s brother, George Yerolemou, in 1999, and now are the sole owners. These days, they are U.S. citizens and strong business and philanthropic leaders in the community, donating time and food to the YWCA, the Children’s Museum of Evansville, the March of Dimes, Easter Seals, and the Junior League of Evansville. Acropolis often caters meals for charitable events.Additionally, auctioned dinners give six to eight guests an unforgettable Greek dining experience and usually can raise $400 to $600 for a charity.
“It brings me joy that we can be involved with this community through what we do best, and that’s cooking, serving, and showing our Greek hospitality through what we give back,” Ellada says. “It really warms our hearts that people recognize the work we do.”
For more information on The Acropolis, call 812-475-9320 or visit acropolisevv.com.
