Armenian National Committee of Illinois
1701 North Greenwood Road, Glenview, IL 60026
PRESS RELEASE
DATE: May 22, 2006
CONTACT: Greg Bedian
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Illinois Community Rallies for ANCA Telethon
Glenview, IL – A group of Armenian American activists and their
supporters gathered in Shahnasarian Hall at the All Saints Armenian
Community Center to watch the live telecast of the Armenian National
Committee of America’s (ANCA) telethon on Sunday, May 22. The
telethon, which was broadcast from Glendale, California, raised over
$2.7 million in six hours.
The local gathering was organized by the Armenian National Committee
of Illinois, the ANCA’s local affiliate. Viewers followed the
telethon’s progress on a large projection screen, listening to
messages from Congressmen and state and local government
representatives from across the nation, as well as special segments
highlighting the ANCA’s advocacy work.
Local ANC volunteers manned phone banks in Glenview to remind Chicago
area Armenians watch the telethon and to solicit donations. Early
reports indicated that over $85,000 was pledged by Armenian-Americans
from the greater Chicago area during the telethon. The crowd reacted
with applause with each update of the tally, and often sang along with
the performers on the TV, creating a festive atmosphere while enjoying
pizza and refreshments.
`We are simply overwhelmed by the tremendous outpouring of support,’
stated Greg Bedian, spokesperson for the ANC of Illinois. `Along with
the donations, we received many words of encouragement regarding our
activities both here locally and across the country,’ he continued.
Earlier this year, the local ANC launched a genocide education
initiative to provide Illinois educators with access to materials,
tools and techniques to teach about genocide while promoting
collaborative efforts to develop new genocide education materials and
methods.
The telethon was broadcast locally on Channel 38 and was also
televised in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Boston, Detroit,
Philadelphia, San Francisco and other major markets. It was also
viewable via satellite and on the internet. However, only the first 3
hours of the telethon were broadcast in the Chicago area.
The Armenian National Committee of Illinois is a grassroots public
affairs organization serving to inform, educate, and act on a wide
range of issues concerning Armenian Americans throughout the state of
Illinois.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
