No Strings Attached
Nareg Hartounian's mission to liberate the arts in Armenia
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March 07, 2008
YPGNY'S Annual Armenian Christmas Auction Raises Record-breaking $20,000 for AGBU Children's Centers
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AGBU YPGNY committee members enjoying the festive atmosphere of the 2008 Armenian Christmas fundraiser. -
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A view of the 200 young professionals that attended the January 21, 2008 fundraiser in Manhattan for the AGBU Children's Centers in Armenia. -
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Some New York area guests at the AGBU YPGNY Armenian Christmas fundraiser.
Surrounded by the stars of Manhattan's skyline, 200 Armenian young professionals mixed, mingled, and raised money for charity on the evening of January 21, 2008. The Armenian Christmas Silent Auction and Cocktail Reception, which is hosted by the AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New York (YPGNY), has been going strong since 2000. At a trendy loft space in midtown Manhattan, the YPGNY committee hosted cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, plus a silent auction and raffle for their Armenian peers, which altogether raised a record-breaking $20,000 for AGBU's Children's Centers in Armenia.
As a memorable evening of food, fun, and music proceeded, the event kept generating excitement and new bids until the silent auction's conclusion.
"I had a great time at the Silent Auction. I was definitely impressed with the venue and all the outstanding items that were donated," said Chris Gasparian, new to the YP community. "The music made for a lively atmosphere and an especially entertaining charity event. It was nice to see how many Armenians came to help support the cause."
Even without winning, guests were more than satisfied with the unbeatable view of Manhattan, DJ and coming together for a worthwhile humanitarian cause.
All money raised during the evening was donated to AGBU's three Children's Centers in Yerevan, Armenia, which were established in 1994 through the combined efforts of AGBU and the Holy See of Etchmiadzin. With local schools being overcrowded and class hours shortened, the AGBU Children's Centers were created with the goal of providing a variety of extracurricular activities to Armenian students. The centers, with a staff of over 300, provide history, language, art, music, dance, crafts and gymnastics every day from 2 pm until 7 pm to over 3,500 students between the ages of five and 16. These students have the opportunity to gain an education in the arts and humanities that they do not receive in their daily classroom. In addition, all three locations (Nork, Arapkir and Malatya) house a chapel for weekly church services and Bible studies. Several paintings made by students at the AGBU Children's Centers were auctioned off at the Armenian Christmas fundraising event.
YPGNY Chair Natalie Gabrelian is proud that the New York-area Armenian young professional community has consistently supported the charity event. "YPGNY strives to educate the young professionals about the outstanding support AGBU provides to our young brothers and sisters through the AGBU Children's Centers. Each year, as the popularity of the event grows, so does the outpouring of support by our generation. We are proud of the commitment of the Young Professionals and look forward to the continued success of the Silent Auction Cocktail but, even more so, to the thriving achievements of the Children's Centers," she said.
In addition to the efforts of the YPGNY committee, special sponsors that made the event possible were Onnig Djinguezian, Joe Kasparian and Jerry Misk.
AGBU YPGNY is part of a growing network of YP Groups and supporters around the world who are committed to preserving and promoting the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural, and humanitarian programs. For more information on YPGNY, email ypgny@agbuyp.org.
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