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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, November 23, 2009
AGBU Young Professionals of California Unite at Lake Isabella
Los Angeles – Between October 23 and October 25, 2009, 25 Young
Professionals from the YP Los Angeles and YP Northern California
chapters of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) left their
respective big cities and met in Kernville, California, for a weekend of
"roughing it" with their peers. The "Armos in the Wild" weekend included
traditional activities such as bonfires, camping under the stars and a
full kebab dinner, as well as opportunities to go kayaking, mountain
biking, and participating in a guided tour of the sequoia trees, for
which the region is famous.
"The goal of this trip was to really join forces with other young
professionals from across the state, in hopes of future collaborative
efforts among young Armenians throughout California," stated Sevana
Melikian (YPLA), organizer of the "Armos in the Wild" weekend. "Many of
our events are local. We felt that spending a weekend under the stars,
in the middle of California, would be a nice way to do something a
little different and appreciate the natural beauty of the state." Narine
Zardarian, Chair of YPLA, included, "Whether people already knew each
other, or met in Kernville that Friday, it was apparent that by Sunday
morning, memories were made and bonds were formed. While we were a small
group, the campers represented a diverse cross section of the Armenian
community and that was probably the single greatest accomplishment of
this getaway."
The California young professionals hope this weekend will become an
annual tradition and give birth to more collaborative projects. Generous
sponsors for the weekend included Steve Hampar (of the AGBU Southern
California District Committee), Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, and the Ralphs
and Albertson’s Grocery Stores.
YPLA is the Los Angeles Chapter of the AGBU Young Professionals–a
growing network of individuals, between the ages of 22 and 40, who
individually and collectively mirror the AGBU’s mission to preserve and
promote Armenian identity and heritage by adding dimensions to the lives
of young professional Armenians through educational, cultural, social
and humanitarian programs.
YPLA puts on monthly activities including social-networking and
professional career-building events, signature weekend getaways, hiking
and camping trips, international video-conferences, service-oriented
activities targeted toward Armenian youth, benefit events, as well as
casual get-togethers, where up to 250 young Armenians can come together
to exchange ideas and get to know each other better. YPLA is always
looking for individuals who would like to volunteer their time either as
a board member or on an event-by-event basis. For more information on
how to get involved with YPLA, please contact: agbu.ypla@gmail.com.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
From: Baghdasarian