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Armenia Fund Bike Ride Raises $50,000

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  • Armenia Fund Bike Ride Raises $50,000

    Armenia Fund, Inc.
    111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
    Glendale, CA 91206

    Tel: 818-243-6222
    Fax: 818-243-7222
    Url: www.armeniafund.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    Contact ~ Sarkis Kotanjian
    [email protected]

    Armenia Fund Bike Ride Raises $50,000
    Cyclists Successfully Reach Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, CA and Toronto, ON - Armenia Fund U.S. Western Region and
    Armenia Fund Canada (Toronto) are pleased to announce the successful end
    of their Monterey-Los Angeles Bike Ride campaign. On Sunday, November 2,
    2008, after a long journey along the California coast, eight cyclists
    reached Los Angeles, ending their ride at the St. James Armenian
    Apostolic Church of Los Angeles. As the first ever Bike Ride jointly
    organized by two Armenia Fund affiliates, the effort raised $50,000 so
    far. Proceeds from this event will benefit the construction of the
    Spitakashen Village School in the Martuni Region, Nagorno Karabakh.

    On Tuesday, October 28, Calabrina Boyajian of Toronto, the bike ride's
    volunteer director started off the bike ride from Monterey to Los
    Angeles, riding her bike alongside John Flaherty. Prior to the start of
    the ride, the parish priest of San Jose, Father Datev, along with a
    group of well wishers representing the Armenian Community of Monterey
    visited the Armenia Fund Bike Ride team and wished them success in their
    endeavor.

    On the 5th day of the ride, Saturday, November 1, three more cyclists
    joined Calabrina and John; Vatche Soghomonian of Fresno and Saro
    Haroutiunian of New Jersey in Lompoc, and Adrian Parsegian in Santa
    Barbara. On the last day of the ride, from Ventura to Los Angeles, two
    more riders joined to complete the bike ride team - Vazgen Mazanians of
    Glendale and Raffi Bedrosyan of Toronto. A detailed daily log of the
    ride is available at www.armeniafund.org/bikeride.

    On Sunday, November 2, 2008, the cyclists embarked on their final leg
    from Ventura to Los Angeles (112km) reaching their destination, the St
    James Armenian Church in Los Angeles.

    At the entrance of the church court, the team received a warm welcome.
    Gor Mkhitarian and his band were playing live music in honor of the
    cyclists. Armenia Fund U.S. Western Region Executive Director Sarkis
    Kotanjian invited Calabrina Boyajian, to present the other riders and
    outline the nature and objective of the first ever Bike Ride. The band
    then honored the eldest rider, the 75 year old Vatche Soghomonian with a
    special song.

    Ara Boyajian of Toronto, a member of the board of trustees of Armenia
    Fund International, stressed the significance of this first joint
    undertaking by the U.S. Western Region and Canadian (Toronto)
    affiliates, and on behalf of the Toronto chapter thanked Maria
    Mehranian, Chair of Armenia Fund U.S Western Region, Sarkis Kotanjian
    and Greg Boyrazian for their contribution to the success of the event.
    Boyajian thanked Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian for his support and
    personal interest in the event, as well as mobilizing the Armenian
    Community of Monterey to farewell the bike ride team, and making the St
    James Church available for the reception.

    Mehranian praised the event and the commitment of the riders, and
    encouraged similar joint ventures among different Armenia Fund
    affiliates in support of humanitarian projects in Armenia and Nagorno
    Karabakh. She also announced that through the joint efforts of the two
    affiliates, $50,000 was raised and that further contributions were being
    accepted.

    Father Arshag Khatchadourian gave a spirited speech congratulating the
    participants and the Armenia Fund in their efforts to help rebuild
    Armenia, and as a token of appreciation presented each rider on behalf
    of the Primate a book titled, "Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic
    Church".

    On final count, 591km was traveled in six days during Armenia Fund's
    first ever jointly organized Bike Ride, commencing in Monterey and
    ending in Los Angeles. This first initiative was a great success. Thanks
    to Armenia Fund's Bike Ride team, the construction of the Spitakashen
    Village School in Martuni will begin in the spring of 2009 delivering
    much needed hope to the young children of the village.

    Armenia Fund continues receiving donations for the Bike Ride. A video
    segment about the event will be featured during the Armenia Fund's 11th
    International Telethon. Telethon 2008 will air live around the world for
    12 hours on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 8:00am-8:00pm PST.

    Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
    established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
    infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
    Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $190 million in
    development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is
    the U.S. Western Region affiliate of `Hayastan' All-Armenian Fund. Tax
    ID# 95-448569

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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