CHILDREN’S DAY FESTIVAL
Cafesjian Museum Foundation Junior Achievement of Armenia
Tamanyan 3, apt.# 31 Hanrapetutyan 63, apt.#89
c. Yerevan, Republic of Armenia c.Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Madlene Minassian
Tel: +37410 56 72 62
Tel:+37410 54 22 39
Fax: +37410 56 15 89 Fax:+37410 54 22 39
E-mail:[email protected] Web:
Web:
50,000 Attended Children’s Day Festival
Junior Achievement of Armenia and Cafesjian Family Foundation Hosted
International Children’s Day on June 1st
YEREVAN, ARMENIA – Heralded by trumpeters dressed in red caps and
royal cloaks, a parade of cartoon characters, circus acrobats,
jugglers and many more marched into the Yerevan’s Gerard L. Cafesjian
Center for the Arts (Cascade) as part of the 4th annual Junior
Achievement of Armenia’s Children Day Festival. It was the most
glorious and spectacular outdoor event of the year. Accompanied by
their parents and grandparents, tens of thousands of wide-eyed
children flocked to the Cascade to attend the larger-than-life
festival celebrating International Children’s Day.
Sponsoring organizations for the event were the the Cafesjian Family
Foundation, Junior Achievement of Armenia, Cafesjian Museum
Foundation, Armenia TV, Cascade Bank and Orran Benevolent
Organization.
At the heart of the Children’s Day Festival was a trade show drawing
public attention to the student companies established as part of JAA’s
groundbreaking 9th-grade Economics program. Throughout the school
year, the 25,000 youth enrolled in JAA’s Applied Economics courses
were manufacturing and selling their student company products. The
festival showcased 55 companies that were selected to represent the
best of the more than 400 companies that were formed this
year. Products on sale and display included handmade toys, jewelry and
crafts, candles, key chains, wall decorations and much more! All
proceeds of the sale will go to charitable organizations. Last year,
over $1000 was raised and donated.
Along the trade fair, the festival included a variety of performances
on four different stages. The shows featured children’s favor
character Yo Yo, the circus, two puppet theatres, a pantomime theater,
a singing children’s group from Gyumri, a fashion show featuring
designs of Treasures of Armenia, the British Bus Project , face
painting by bem and pottery painting organized by the alumni of Junior
Achievement.
To make it a fun for all ages, the The Children’s Day Festival also
featured a jazz concert by Arsen Nercisyan and the Cactus Band and Gor
Mkitarian and the Renaissance band as well as live performances by
renowned Armenian singers, including Nune Yesayan, Arthur Ispirian,
Aramo & Emma, Forsh, Emi, Christine Pepelyan, Silva Hakobyan, Shprot,
Arsen Grigorian, and Hamlet Gevorkyan. The evening came to conclusion
as the roaring crowd greeted Armenchik and sang along with him as the
spectacular fireworks signaled the end of a fairy tale day.
`Anyone who attended the Children’s Day Festival, will have lasting
memories of this very sweet day. This is our favorite day of the year,
where the Cascade is transformed into the second `happiest place on
earth”, stated Madelene Minassian, Director of Public Relations at
the Cafesjian Museum Foundation.
`The festival is intended to be fun and memorable for the thousands
of children who attend. But it is also meant to carry a strong
message of working hard, and having campassion for those in need. `
added Armine K. Hovannisian, Executive Director of Junior Achievement
of Armenia.
International Children’s Day is widely celebrated each year on June
1st. The origin of Children’s Day can be traced back to the World
Conference for the Well-Being of Children, which took place in Geneva,
Switzerland, in 1925. Attended by representatives from 54 countries,
the conference passed the Geneva Declaration Protecting Children,
which focused on poverty, prevention of child labor, education, and
other issues related to the welfare of children around the world.
Dozens of nations hold their own commemorative celebrations every
year.