Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
Walk of Life 2009 becomes testament to grassroots solidarity
Over 500 gather to support the life-saving activities of the Armenian
Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Glendale event is mirrored by donor recruits in Yerevan and Tehran
Los Angeles, October 8, 2009 – On Sunday, October 3, more than 500
supporters gathered at the Verdugo Park in Glendale, California, to
participate in Walk of Life 2009, the much-anticipated walkathon of
the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR).
In addition to taking part in the 5K/10K walk-run, supporters
registered as bone marrow donors and helped raise funds for the life-
saving mission of the ABMDR. The annual family event, which draws
supporters from all age groups and walks of life, took place in a
festive atmosphere that included live music, dance, and food.
`This is the type of event that makes our work all the more
worthwhile,’ said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the ABMDR Board of
Directors. `When the Armenian community responds to the call for
action in such big numbers, and does so with such a high level of
enthusiasm and dedication, we have every reason to be optimistic
about the continued viability of the ABMDR’s mission.’
Walk of Life 2009 was chaired by Armond Aghakhanian of the ABMDR’s
Board of Advisors while Nectar Kalajian served as master of
ceremonies. Together they introduced representatives of the event’s
major sponsors, including the City of Glendale, Glendale Memorial
Hospital, and Bank of America. All sponsors were honored with
certificates of recognition during the walkathon.
`Every Armenian should join the registry,’ said Glendale City
Councilman Ara Najarian as he accepted a certificate from Dr. Jordan.
His comments were echoed by Arpik Lalabekyan, senior vice president
at the Burbank Main Branch of Bank of America. `The registry is such
a great idea,’ Lalabekyan said. `I’m so proud of Bank of America
for
becoming a sponsor. It’s time we did something like this.’ Bank of
American, a first-time ABMDR sponsor, supported Walk of Life 2009 by
making an initial donation and subsequently matching funds that were
raised by employees of the Burbank Main Branch.
Accepting certificates on behalf of Bank of America and Glendale
Memorial Hospital were Zepiur Ashjian, a consumer-market vice-
president with the bank, and Mark Myers, president of Glendale
Memorial Hospital, respectively.
Youth power
Youth participation was a key factor in the large turnout and
ultimate success of the walkathon. In the months leading up to the
event, Mariette Keshishian and Dr. Evelyn Baghdassarian of the ABMDR
coordinated teams of participating students from local public schools
with the help of Daniel Baghdassarian, a student at La Canada High.
Simultaneously, Dr. Vergine Madenlian, an ABMDR Board member, and
Garbis Bartanian, a science teacher at Mesrobian School, educated
students about stem cell transplantation and genetics through a
series of special talks.
School teams participating in the walkathon included those of the
Alex Pilibos, Chamlian, Mariamian-Davidian, Mesrobian, and Clark
schools. In addition, over 20 teams representing private groups,
community organizations, and businesses – among them the ARS Glendale
Sepan Chapter, AGBU Glendale/Pasadena Scouts, Law Offices of Geragos
and Geragos, and Softline Solutions – participated in the event,
raising funds and encouraging supporters to register as bone marrow
donors. (The full list of teams is posted at ABMDR.am). Two of those
teams were dedicated to the memory of Aram Markosian, of Southfield,
Michigan. After a long battle with leukemia and unable to find a bone
marrow match for a stem cell transplant, Markosian passed away last
month at the age of 24.
One of the 1,305 patients identified by the ABMDR as requiring such a
transplant is Suren Ter-Abramyan, a 40-year-old leukemia patient who
attended Walk of Life 2009. `The very existence of the ABMDR is a
wonderful phenomenon,’ Ter-Abramyan said. `We haven’t found a bone
marrow match yet, but we won’t give up. And even after finding a
match, I’ll continue to support the registry every way I can.’
Dr. Evelyn Baghdassarian, a pediatrician and an ABMDR Board Member,
said that treating young cancer patients sparked the fire in her to
join the mission of the registry. `In a short few years, the ABMDR
has grown from obscurity to an organization that has fostered the
emergence of a high degree of health consciousness and activism among
Armenian communities across the world,’ she said.
Dr. Baghdassarian added that while Armenians stand to gain the most
from the ABMDR because of their unique genetic makeup, people of any
nationality can also benefit. `This is the reason that the ABMDR is a
member of the National Marrow Donor Program, a fact that considerably
enlarges the pool of possible matches for everyone,’ she explained.
Recruiting to save lives
The overarching goal of the ABMDR is to recruit donors so that
Armenians suffering from life-threatening blood-related illnesses can
have a chance for a transplant, through a potential match.
As with all ABMDR outreach events, donor recruitment was a key
feature of Walk of Life 2009. Volunteer recruiters such as Fimi
Mekhitarian and members of the Armenian Nurses Association recruited
bone marrow donors throughout the event, working in booths especially
set up for the purpose.
`First and foremost I would like to thank the Armenian Nurses
Association, for always and unflinchingly supporting our
recruitments,’ Mekhitarian said. `Today’s event has been a great
success because the registry’s mission seems to be resonating with
the community as a whole and the youth in particular. The youth is
what makes this endeavor strong and effective. It’s also why I think
it’s crucial to continue building school teams for participation in
ABMDR events.’ Mekhitarian added that close to 90 donors were
recruited during the walkathon.
Following the walk/run, the large crowd at Verdugo Park celebrated
with music and dancing. The lineup of singers performing at the event
included Joseph Krikorian, Ara Sahagian, Hratch Bogharian, Nersig
Ispirian, and Sahag Sislian.
There were also a surprise appearances by Armenchik and Mihran.
Addressing the hundreds of jubilant participants, the singers
encouraged everyone to continue helping in the growth of the ABMDR.
Subsequently Armenchik registered as a donor and made a donation to
the ABMDR.
Unprecedented events in Yerevan and Tehran
Another watershed event took place on October 3 in Yerevan, where the
ABMDR organized its largest outreach event to date.
The Armenian capital’s famed Lovers’ Park pulsated with a marathon
benefit concert while ABMDR representatives interacted with hundreds
of attendees, educating them about the work of the registry and
recruiting stem cell donors.
Volunteer performers and artists lending their talents to the
extraordinary, eight-hour celebration included Forsh, Michael
Poghosyan, the Malkhas jazz band, and scores of others. The event
netted 200 donor recruits.
Significant results were also achieved in Tehran. During the first
week of October, Mariette Tounians, the registry’s representative in
the Iranian capital, recruited 250 donors at the Avedissian Clinic,
marking a turning point for the Armenian-Iranian community.
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
the ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide
survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and
matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.
To date, the registry has recruited over 15,000 donors across three
continents, identified 1,305 patients, found 1,033 potential matches,
and facilitated nine bone marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.
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