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Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
ancawr@anca.org
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PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: January 3, 2006
Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
ANCA-WR ESTABLISHES HAROUTIOUN KASPARIAN ENDOWMENT FUND
-New Endowment Fund Will Serve To Engage Armenian American Youth on Hai Tahd
Issues
Glendale, CA — The Armenian National Committee of America — Western Region
(ANCA-WR) recently announced the establishment of an endowment fund in the
name of the late Haroutioun Kasparian of Los Angeles. The endowment fund
will be used to educate Armenian American youth on issues related to the
Armenian Cause. The endowment fund will amount to $50,000 when it is fully
funded.
Haroutioun Kasparian, a lifelong supporter of the ANCA-WR, passed away on
June 23, 2006. Among his memoirs, Kasparian wrote the following of his
passion for the Armenian Church and the Armenian Cause: "I would like to
convey, after my passing, that you [the Armenian people] must love the
Armenian Church because it is the Armenian Nation. And the nation has an
obligation to work for Hai-Tahd [the Armenian Cause] which is both our
national pride and obligation."
"Haroutioun Kasparian was an Armenian American patriot," remarked ANCA-WR
Chairman Raffi Hamparian. "He and his family have in the past and will
remain model ANC activists, always ready to lend a hand to advance the
Armenian Cause and participate in the miracle of American democracy. I will
forever miss Haroutioun and know that his endowment fund will make sure that
a new generation of Armenian Americans picks up the torch he held high for
decades," Hamparian added.
Haroutioun Kasparian was born on April 23, 1930 in Athens, Greece. Born of
parents who had survived the Armenian Genocide, Kasparian lost his father at
a young age and began working to support his family at the ripe age of
eleven. In 1946 his family moved to Soviet Armenia, where he lived for 22
years. During his time in Armenia he continued his education and fell in
love with and married Elizabeth Papazian. The couple had two children, a
daughter Arsho and a son, Vram. Due to the hardships of living in Soviet
Armenia, Kasparian fled the country in 1968 after a decade of attempting to
emigrate to the United States. Arriving in America, Kasparian quickly found
employment and began a remarkably successful career in business.
Kasparian was an active member of the Armenian Church, a fervent supporter
of Homenetmen and a staunch patron of the Alex Pilibos School in Hollywood.
He was a deacon and among the first contributors to St. Garabed Armenian
Church in Hollywood. His wife Elizabeth has been a strong supporter of the
Armenian Relief Society "Mayr" Chapter. His son Vram was among the first
Homenetmen scouts in the Los Angeles area and his daughter Arsho has been a
consistent supporter of Alex Pilibos. In all ways, Haroutioun Kasparian was
proud of his Armenian heritage and was especially proud of young Armenian
Americans who supported the work of the ANCA and other worthwhile Armenian
causes. The ANCA-WR Haroutioun Kasparian Endowment will forever honor this
special Armenian American.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots
political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of
the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.
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