Author: Arpi Talalian

WATERTOWN, Mass.,—The Armenian community of New England came together in support of the eighth annual Walk of Life of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The beloved pan-Armenian event, which took place in Watertown, MA drew avid youth participation, with large numbers of students from area schools and colleges, as well as the support of numerous community organizations. The walkathon took place on Saturday, September 28.

Once again, Walk of Life received support and sponsorship from several large and small businesses, including PROMETRIKA LLC of Cambridge, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Armenian-American Pharmacists’ Association, Watertown Savings Bank, ThermOil, Inc., several other local businesses, the Armenia Tree Project, the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center, and the AGBU New England District. PROMETRIKA LLC has been a consistent supporter of the ABMDR; its CEO and founder, Miganush Stepanians, was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award at the ABMDR 20th anniversary Gala in Los Angeles in August.

At the walkathon’s opening ceremony, which was held on the grounds of ACEC, Lori Yogurtian of ABMDR New England welcomed the participants. “Seventy-five percent of [affected] patients’ lives depend on finding a matched unrelated donor,” she said. “This is already a difficult situation. However, the unique genetic make-up of Armenians makes it nearly impossible for them to find suitable matches among the existing international registries. Every person the ABMDR informs, swabs, and registers is another chance for a patient’s life to be saved.”

On his part, Jack Antounian, lead marshal of the walk and President of the Armenian Business Network, provided safety guidelines to the walkers. This year, the ABN marshals were joined by several volunteer members of ABMDR New England. Walk of Life concluded at Watertown Square, where participants enjoyed great music, dancing, and food, along with thousands of people attending the annual Faire on the Square festival.

In his remarks during the closing ceremony, Shant Der Torossian of ABMDR New England said, “We’re touched to see so many individuals and community organizations participate in our eighth walkathon. A big ‘thank you’ to all those who assisted in promoting this event among their co-workers, friends, and family. We couldn’t do this without you!” Der Torossian went on to convey the New England Walk of Life Committee’s deep gratitude to the event’s sponsors and the walkathon marshals from the ABN for their continued support.

Following Der Torossian’s remarks, Alec Der Sirakian, Lilit Hovnanian, and Sossy Yogurtian (on behalf of the AAPA) were awarded the first, second, and third top-fundraiser awards, respectively. For the seventh consecutive year, the Armenia Tree Project will plant commemorative trees in Armenia in honor of the walkathon winners, as part of the #LivingCentury Initiative.

Aside from planning the Walk, ABMDR New England volunteers have been working to spread awareness about ABMDR. In the weeks leading up to the walk, volunteers participated in a number of local community events to educate the public about bone marrow donation and ABMDR in general, and recruited new donors.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to volunteer with this organization,” said ABMDR New England volunteer Lori Yeterian. “It has been a humbling experience to work with a group of passionate people who share a common goal: helping to save lives. I hope for the continuation of the ABMDR mission for many years to come!”

ABMDR New England is encouraging community members to join the team. Interested readers can contact ABMDR New England via email.

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-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 31,000 donors in 33 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 33 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call 323.663.3609 or visit the website.

As the last bus leaves Week H, the dust finally settles and, just like that, another eight amazing weeks of AYF Camp come to an end. With over 1,000 campers and staff, AYF Camp was bustling all summer with immense Armenian spirit, fun Red-Blue-Orange activities and a variety of educationals. “Camp is my home away from home. It’s where people come together. It’s amazing how people who were once strangers to me are now some of my closest friends,” said Natalie Moumdjian (13) from Seal Beach, CA.

What makes AYF Camp so special is its vast global appeal, which keeps growing year after year. In 2019, there were campers and staff from all over the world, including China, France, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Kingdom. “Being a counselor has given me the privilege to lead and guide the youth of the Armenian community. It is inspiring to see the campers creativity and uniqueness thrive through the activities and experiences made at AYF camp. This opportunity creates lifetime friendships and bonds between campers and counselors. The campers are the reason I look forward to attending every year,” said Deanna Jabourian (Counselor, Week H).

The pride and success of AYF Camp has always been, and will continue to be, the joint effort of all its volunteers and supporting community. AYF Camp is fortunate to have had amazing directors in the past who have paved the way and allowed for the addition of 7 new directors in the 2019 camp season – many of whom are female. For Lori Tashdjian, a first-time director (Week B) and AYF Camp Management Board member, “The spirit of AYF Camp never changes and continues to enrich the lives of Armenian youth. It’s wonderfully fulfilling to watch camp thrive year after year. It is a true testament to our program.” The counselors, under the guidance of these directors, ensured that all campers had a great summer focusing on building friendships, learning about Armenian culture, and enjoying the great outdoors.

The summer was filled with outdoor activities, including canoeing, archery, and Red-Blue-Orange team competitions, as well as educationals and the always-competitive weekly song competition. AYF Camp is truly grateful to all the volunteer educational speakers who came up throughout the summer to ensure that campers went home with more knowledge about the Armenian Nation, our rich culture, and beautiful history. This year, campers were fortunate to partake in a number of new educationals, including Armenian Genealogy, Artsakh, and Leadership. For instance, AYF Camp was thrilled to have two representatives, Manuk Avedikyan and Sedda Antekelian, from the USC Shoah Foundation representing the work that they do with the testimony of Genocide survivors, both of whom “were moved to see the positive impact testimony-based education had on the campers and the genuine appreciation they felt to have the opportunity to watch and listen to Armenian Genocide survivors as well as survivors of the Holocaust and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.”

As the 2019 Summer Camp season has come to a close, AYF Camp would like to thank all of the volunteers, campers and community for their continued support in making this summer such a success and hopes to see everyone back next year.

Since 1977, AYF Camp has offered a genuinely rewarding experience, by serving as a place for Armenian youth to make new friends and memories for a lifetime. AYF Camp is the largest and oldest summer camp program in the Western United States focusing on Armenian culture and heritage. For more information, and sign up for our newsletter to receive news and updates on programs and events, visit our website.