PRESS RELEASE
Ararat, Armenia—On July 13, students, parents and staff at the Nor Ughi Village School welcomed local and regional officials and donors and staff from The Paros Foundation to the gala ribbon cutting of the school’s new gym. John and June Mangassarian (RI-USA) spearheaded the fundraising for this project, matching all contributions to this important project implemented by The Paros Foundation.
“When I first visited this school last year while I was in the village working on a Fuller Center home build, I saw the needs here and knew I wanted to help.” Said John Mangassarian, “today is a great day for June and I to see what our family, friends and supporters accomplished working together with The Paros Foundation.”
During the opening celebration, students from the school performed several dances and songs. Head of the consolidated community of Vedi, Mr. Garik Sargsyan offered his remarks of appreciation along with Mr. Martin Manukyan Head of the Education, Sports and Culture Department of the Ararat Regional Governor’s Office. School Principal Mrs. Kristine Tunyan welcomed everyone and expressed her gratitude to both John and June Mangassarian for their generous support and interest in continuing work at the school, and to The Paros Foundation and its work crew for the high-quality renovation of the gym.
“Thanks to the vision and leadership of John Mangassarian and his group of supporters, the students here will be able to enjoy this gym and physical education for years to come,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “John has expressed interest in continuing work at the school and I look forward to our ongoing partnership for the betterment of conditions within this school.”
The renovation of the gymnasium included the installation of a new ceiling, new electrical system and lighting, new heating piping, new doors, and the installation of new flooring. New safety netting was installed throughout to protect the ceiling and windows from breakage. In addition to the gym itself, the renovation included the gym teacher’s office, boys and girls locker rooms and the portion of the hallway leading to the gym.
The Paros Foundation was launched in 2006 and has implemented more than $13 million worth of projects in Armenia through its unique model of philanthropy and community partnership. These projects are located throughout the country with focus on Gyumri and in communities along the border with Azerbaijan. Thanks to the generous support of the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, all administrative expenses are underwritten, allowing 100% of donor contributions to be allocated in their entirety to the projects. To learn more about The Paros Foundation, or to support a project, please visit www.parosfoundation.org or contact Peter Abajian, Executive Director at (310) 400-9061 or via email, .
