California Grandmother in Midst of Walking Record Setting 215 Miles in
19 Days

MODESTO, Calif., April 12 /PRNewswire/ — Zabel Ekmekjian of Moraga,
Calif. is taking part in a historical march from Fresno, Calif. to
Sacramento. She and more than a dozen other Armenians are walking 19
days and 215 miles in solidarity with the 1.5 million forgotten
victims of the Armenian Genocide.

“I took no measures to prepare for the walk. I didn’t change my diet
or do anything that I don’t normally do,” said Ekmekjian. “My
strength and motivation is with the Lord and with his help I am
determined to make it to Sacramento.”

Ekmekjian and her group young Armenians have already walked more than
130 miles in their first week. They walk whether it’s scorching hot
or pouring rain. They sleep in churches and eat from a lunch truck
that travels with them.

“Ninety years have passed since the Genocide and we still have not
received justice for the millions of lost lives,” said Ekmekjian.
“The least I can do is to sacrifice myself for a few weeks in an
effort to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and the plight
of my family.”

Ekmekjian’s father survived the Genocide but she lost many other
family members in the brutal killings between 1915 and 1923. As a
result of the forced exodus from his home Ekmekjian’s father, Garabad
Kassabian, was split apart from the rest of his family at the age of
five.

“I have no pain and with the will of God will be able to walk all the
way to Sacramento,” said Ekmekjian. “What amazes me most is the will
of the young people in our group.”

SOURCE March for Humanity

04/11/2005 23:48 ET