NAIRA MELKUMIAN IS SURE THAT 90% OUT OF 11 MLN DOLLARS PROMISED DURING
“TELETHON-2004” TO BE COLLECTED
YEREVAN, December 6 (Noyan Tapan). The “Telethon-2004”, which was held
in Los Angeles on November 25, deserved its name of the arrangement of
All-Armenian significance owing to the provision of the participation
of different circles of the population of the Diaspora, Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh in fundraising for the construction of the North-South
highway in Nagorno Karabakh. Executive Director of the Pan-Armenian
“Hayastan” (“Armenia”) Fund said about it during the December 3
press conference. Mrs. Melkumian noticed that the high result of
the fundraising is conditioned by the well-organized work of the
team, in which the “Hayastan” Fund’s local bodies of the European
countries and the US played their decisive role. Naira Melkumian
particularly emphasized the work of the local body of the US Eastern
Coast, owing to which the donation of a total of 5 mln, 700 thousand
dollars were provided. Armenia and the NKR provided more than 1 mln,
100 thousand dollars, and it is also quite a high index in comparison
with the previous marathons. Luis-Simon Manukian (2 mln dollars),
Eduardo Ernekian (1.5 mln dollars), Hrair Hovnanian (1 mln dollars),
Gevorg Hovnanian (1 mln dollars), Sargis Hakobian (1 mln dollars),
Caroline Mugar (500,000 dollars) and Ara Abrahamian (250,000 dollars)
are the largest grantors. N. Melkumian also noticed that in contrast
to the previous years, it is decided that this year the funds collected
for the programs having other special purposes will be separated from
the sum donated for the construction of the “North-South” highway. The
promises of 11 mln dollars were given only for the implementation of
this program. Naira Melkumian reported that the promise of donations
for other purposeful programs were also given during the telethon. So,
among the purposeful programs the local body of the US Western Coast
provided donations of 2 mln, 222 thousand dollars this year. 1 mln,
320 thousand out of them are allocated for the construction of the
highway. The Executive Director of the “Hayastan” Fund gave assurance
that 90% out of the promised sum will be collected. She also said that,
in fact, 600,000 dollars have already been transferred. It was also
noticed that 78 kilometers of the highway are left until completion,
and a total of 12.5 mln dollars are necessary for it. The construction
of this sector of the highway will begin in March, 2005.