CHAMLIAN STUDENTS AND PARENTS BUILD MOMENTUM FOR ANCA ENDOWMENT TELETHON
an-students-and-parents-build-momentum-for-anca-en dowment-telethon/
May 22, 2009
My daughter donated a $100 today," Melineh Issakhanian proudly
exclaimed Thursday at a Chamlian Armenian School fundraiser for the
ANCA Endowment fund telethon.
"Aundrae’s too modest to say she donated to the telethon before coming
here," she added. "I’m really proud of her."
Melineh’s and her daughter, Aundrae, were one of many families that
turned out at the Crescenta Valley Baja Fresh Mexican food restaurant
Thursday to support Chamlian’s effort to raise funds for the upcoming
telethon set for May 31. Baja Fresh had pledged to donate 20 percent
of every purchase to Chamlian, which in turn is going to donate the
proceeds to the ANCA Endowment Fund. The fundrasier lasted from 3 to
9pm and enjoyed a steady flow of participants throughout the evening.
I think it’s important for Armenian-Americans, regardless of how old
they are, to contribute to this cause," Aundrae, 13, said. "I want
our community in America to be strong and for that to happen we need
to unite behind the institutions that help our community grow."
Aundrae first learned about the ANCA Endowment Fund through Chamlian,
where volunteers have been coming on campus to talk to the students
about the Endowment Fund and the critical role youth play in the
community’s future success.
There are a myriad of reasons to donate to the ANCA Endowment
Fund. "The community has much to do and is up against many challenges,"
explained Shooshig Avakian- Koroghlyan, the Telethon’s Administrative
Director.
For the last few months, ANCA Endowment Fund volunteers have been
visiting Armenian schools and churches to bring the message of the
telethon to Armenian-American communities throughout the country.
At schools here in California, volunteers have been traveling from
school to school giving presentations to students ranging from 3rd to
12th grade. "We’ve been trying to raise awareness among our youth of
the growing efforts of the Endowment Fund to increase Armenian-American
participation in civic life through internship programs, support of the
ANCA Capital Gateway program and local media and government outreach,"
said Avakian-Koroghlyan.
"The goal of our presentations has been to empower the students and
get them to realize that they are the true strength of this community,"
Avakian-Koroghlyan said.
Indeed, the school feels the same. "It is important to reach out to and
engage our grassroots when they are students," said Seda Batamian,
Chamlian’s Dean of Students. "By instilling an appreciation for
civic engagement and community involvement in them during childhood,
ensures that it will become second nature for them when they grow up
to become adults."
Students have taken up the challenge, organizing classroom events and
fundraising competitions to help ensure a bright future for their
community. Chamlian, for example, has been organizing fundraiser
after fundraiser in support of the telethon.
"We are having two bake sales, one sponsored by the teachers
and staff of Chamlian and the other sponsored by Sarkis Pastry,
said Batamian. "Money is being collected from the students and
faculty/staff. Chamlian’s Parent Support Committee and the Dad’s
Support Committee is also contributing to this worthy cause."
In addition, each class at the school has set their own fundraising
goals and is working to raise funds in a competition to see which
class can raise the most. "The class that brings in the most money
will get free dress and pizza; while second place winners will get
free dress," she added.
"Surprisingly, they have a keen understanding of the threats and
challenges we face in Washington DC. Throughout all the schools,
the consensus was that the students would do everything they could to
match the financial strength of the Turkish lobby even if that meant
going door to door, raising money and informing others of the cause."
For 14 year old Chamlian student Christopher Keshishian, it’s his
generation that’s going to defang the Turkish lobby, which spends
millions of dollars monthly to deter the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide in the United States.
"By donating to the telethon I am helping my community have the
ammunition it needs to combat the Turkish government’s multi-million
dollar lobbyists who work against the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and the interests of the Armenian Republic," he said. "Obama
broke his promise and to the community and is cutting aid to
Armenia. We need to double our efforts by being strong, united,
and even more involved in politics so that this doesn’t happen again."
For parent Razmik Arakelian, there is no better place to gather
support for this cause than the school. "We are raising money to
secure the foundations of our community, the school is an integral
part of that community and it’s the best place to rally our community
for the Endowment Fund’s telethon," Arakelian exclaimed.
Another parent, Zareh Movsesian, agreed. "By raising money for the
telethon, we are inherently supporting Chamlian," he said. "These kids,
here today, are seeing firsthand how their involvement in the school
and in the community can make a lasting impact. They are going to be
the torch bearers of our future and the support base our community
needs to maintain its institutions."
Anoush Kazarians, 19, is proof of Movsesian’s sentiments. A Chamlian
alumnus, Kazarian said Chamlian built her bonds to the community. "If
it were not for this school, I would not have known about this
telethon, the ANCA Endowment Fund, or anything else going on in my
community," she explained. "Even after all these years, Chamlian
still keeps me informed about my community."
Nine year old twin sisters, Tania and Aline Buickians, although still
young, have already begun to realize the importance of being involved
in the community. This year, they participated in Chamlian’s annual
Walk for Remembrance on April 24. For seven hours, these two sisters,
with their mom, walked with dozens of their schoolmates from Lowell
at the far edge of La Crescenta to City Hall, in the heart of Glendale.
"We came here because the proceeds are going to go to Chamlian and
Chamlian is going to give it to the telethon, which is going to help
the community," the two sisters said, almost synchronously.
In the weeks leading up to the telethon, the community is active
building momentum for what looks to be a successful telethon. The
Crescenta Valley AYF will be selling coffee at the Armenian
Independence Day Festival Sunday May 24 in Little Armenia to
raising money for the telethon and will also be organizing a car
wash fundraiser on May 30 at the Foothill 76 Gas Station at 3402
Foothill Blvd, on the corner of New York and Foothill. Meanwhile,
the ARS Askhken Pilavjian preschool and Ferrahian are both holding
raffle drawings for the telethon. Community businesses like Tailor
Town (Glendale Galleria or Westfield Santa Anita) are also pledging
to donate 30% of all sales toward the telethon.