The Greek War Relief Association (sometimes Greek Relief Association or abbreviated GWRA) was a

relief organization Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actual ...

for Greek civilians created during World War II. Founded by prominent Greek-American businessmen, along with railroad tycoon

Harold Vanderbilt Harold Stirling Vanderbilt CBE (July 6, 1884 – July 4, 1970) was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, an innovator and champion player of contract bridge, and a member of the Vanderbilt family. Early life He was born in Oakdale, ...

and film industry executive

Spyros Skouras Spyros Panagiotis Skouras (; gr, Σπύρος Σκούρας; March 28, 1893 – August 16, 1971) was a Greek-American motion picture pioneer and film executive who was the president of 20th Century-Fox from 1942 to 1962. He resigned June 27, 19 ...

, the association provided economic relief to Greeks following Italian and German invasions. Aid was especially focused on food and medicine to mitigate the severe famine of the winter of 1941/42. Films such as ''

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

'' and '' Gone with the Wind'' opened with gala premieres with proceeds benefiting the Greek War Relief Association. In a multinational agreement which included

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, the GWRA continued to deliver supplies to Greece following

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

in 1942. Three neutral Swedish-flagged ships were chartered, along with Swedish and International Red Cross workers to distribute the cargos. Between 1942 and 1944, roughly 75-million USD in aid was sent to Greece from abroad (according to Skouras).

References

Greece–United States relations Greek-American history Humanitarian aid organizations of World War II Axis occupation of Greece {{US-philanthropy-org-stub