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Homenetmen Victory Banquet Celebrates Navasartian Games

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  • Homenetmen Victory Banquet Celebrates Navasartian Games

    Homenetmen Victory Banquet Celebrates Navasartian Games

    asbarez
    Friday, July 6th, 2012

    This year's honorees with the Prelate and Homenetmen leadership

    UNIVERSAL CITY - More than 500 Homenetmen members, supporters, and
    guests filled the Universal Hilton Hotel's banquet hall on Sunday,
    July 1 for the Victory Banquet celebrating the vast accomplishments of
    the athletes participating in the 37th Navasartian Games.

    Guests included Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian;
    Consul General Grigor Hovhannesyan; Homenetmen Central Executive
    members Hagop Tufenkjian and Viken Tavitian; ACF Central Committee
    member Koko Topalian; ARS Regional Executive Board members; Adrin
    Nazarian, candidate of the California State Assembly; and numerous
    Homenetmen members, including Honorary Presidents and Exemplary
    Homenetmen Members from years past. The event also had the strong
    support of jewelers, whose attendance displayed their solidarity with
    this year's Honorary President, who also serves as the President of
    the Armenian Jewelers Association.

    After a one-hour cocktail reception during which the crowd mingled,
    guests occupied their seats for the start of the evening's official
    program. Banquet Organizing Committee Chairperson Shant Haytayan, who
    MCed the program, welcomed guests and thereafter invited Lara
    Gharibian to sing the American national anthem, followed by Homenetmen
    scout Ivonna Krikorian, who sang the Armenian national anthem and the
    Homenetmen anthem.

    Archbishop Mardirossian delivered his blessings, extending well wishes
    for the Navasartian Games and congratulations to the Honorary
    President, Mr. & Mrs. Gagik and Madine Gevorkian, and the 2012
    Exemplary Homenetmen Member Maro Kechichian. The Prelate also read a
    letter of blessings by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I sent on the
    occasion of the 37th Navasartian Games.

    During dinner, guests viewed two video presentations, one of which
    covered the history of the Navasartian Games and the other presented a
    biographical sketch of the Honorary President.

    Following dinner, Congressman Brad Sherman delivered remarks and
    presented a symbolic American flag, which has flown at the White
    House, as well as its certificate of authenticity that was accepted by
    Homenetmen Regional Executive Chairperson Garnik Abrahamian.

    On behalf of the Homenetmen Regional Executive, Vicken Dakessian took
    to the podium and delivered a message to guests, stating `Looking
    around and within the boundaries of this banquet hall, I can't but
    admire all your individual and collective talent, intellect, personal
    achievements and financial powers, thus tonight I am going to
    challenge all of us to work together as one to exert all thinkable and
    imaginable means to advance the Navasartian Games to boundless
    frontiers. Let us all be a source of strength and a great example to
    each other.'

    Thereafter, Dakessian outlined the qualities of an Exemplary
    Homenetmen Member and, soon after, invited this year's honoree, Maro
    Kechichian, to the stage. Kechichian thanked the Homenetmen Regional
    Executive for bestowing her with the honor and expressed her
    contentment with belonging to an organization such as Homenetmen,
    where she has learned much to become a confident, bold, and patriotic
    individual. She went on to praise the collective forces that lie at
    the essence of the organization, which feeds it strength and leaves no
    room for personal gains. Following her heartfelt speech, Kechichian
    received a memorable plaque from the Homenetmen Regional Executive.

    Soon after, in a much anticipated moment in the evening, the official
    transfer of the tricolor ribbon took place from one honorary president
    to the current one. As such, the 35th Honorary President George
    Jamgochian transferred the ribbon to Mr. & Mrs. Gagik and Madine
    Gevorkian. Mr. Gevorkian delivered a warm and touching speech
    affirming what an asset Homenetmen is as an organization to the
    Armenian people, confidently expressing his pride to be an Armenian
    and belonging to a people from which such an organization was
    established and continues to grow, inspire, and discipline the younger
    generation. Gevorkian gave special mention to the fact that the
    realization of what a fundamental role Homenetmen plays for the
    Armenia youth is what became the decisive factor for him to accept the
    role of Honorary President.

    He concluded by encouraging guests to continue their show of support
    by attending the Navasartian Games and closing ceremony, all the while
    affirming his backing of the organization. Thereafter, he was
    presented with memorabilia from Regional Executive Chairperson
    Abrahamian.

    Officials including Los Angeles City Councilmember Dennis Zine and Los
    Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel also appeared before guests with
    encouraging words, as did Michael Landver, a long-time friend of
    Honorary President Gevorkian.

    After the end of the evening's official program, guests enjoyed music
    from DJ Vazken and celebrated late into the evening with enthusiastic
    spirit.

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