Coming Together for Syria Relief

Every winter without fail, young Armenian professionals come together on both coasts to work for the greater good. For the past 17 years, the AGBU Young Professionals of Northern California (YPNC) has gathered an enthusiastic group of Armenians for its San Francisco Winter Gala to fundraise for the less fortunate. Three thousand miles away in New York, the AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New York (YPGNY) has mobilized the community for the past 16 years for their Silent Auction & Cocktail Party in support of an AGBU cause. Joining benevolence and entertainment, hundreds of community-minded Armenians from around the world have come to be part of these exciting events and contribute to alleviating the hardship faced by their fellow Armenians a world away.

For the past four years, both groups have donated the proceeds from their events to the AGBU Humanitarian Emergency Relief Fund for Syrian Armenians. This essential resource for Syrian Armenians in need provides food and aid distribution; medical assistance; educational programs and children’s services; stipends for widows and orphans of war; university scholarships; as well as support programs for Syrian Armenians now living in Armenia, Lebanon and Canada.

“The need today is greater than it has ever been and continues to grow more and more each day. As it increases, we strive to increase the amount raised each year,” said YPGNY chairman William Nazarian.

Through the generosity, ingenuity and hard work of YPNC and YPGNY, over $180,000 has been raised to bring relief to Syrian Armenians around the world. To reach this impressive sum, YPNC Committee organizes an unforgettable experience for hundreds of young professionals with three full days of events: from walking tours of historic San Francisco to wine tours of the Sonoma Valley to its signature gala celebration, attendees leave feeling connected to their fellow Armenians locally and globally.

YPGNY cultivates this same sense of togetherness with their Silent Auction & Cocktail Party. Welcoming hundreds of young professionals each year, guests enjoy the ambiance of the evening while bidding on a wide array of gifts, luxury items, and services donated by leading businesses and generous individuals in the fields of fine art, fashion, sports, dining, and entertainment.

Beside their noble fundraising goals, both events also succeed in creating a close-knit, connected network of like-minded young professionals from around the world.

“The driving force behind organizing the Winter Gala has always been on raising funds and giving back to various AGBU projects and programs.  We are grateful for the opportunity to support our brothers and sisters in Syria and those relocating, and provide them hope as they endure the conflict in the region,” said YPNC chairman David Ojakian.

YPNC and YPGNY are part of a worldwide network of young professionals striving to improve their communities near and far. The AGBU Young Professionals (YP) is a growing network of groups and supporters around the world who preserve and promote the Armenian identity and heritage for young Armenians between the ages of 22 to 40. Diverse yet unified, the AGBU Young Professionals is the largest, global network of its kind bringing young Armenians together from all walks of life to serve the greater good. Making a difference for twenty years, the YP movement began in 1995 with the first group in Los Angeles.

Inspiring young professionals to get involved and stay involved, the YP network has earned an international reputation for fostering a sense of community and belonging thanks to its open-door policy. Civic-minded and benevolent, AGBU YP groups and partners devote their time, expertise, and leadership to make Armenian communities thriving, better places to live by engaging thousands worldwide through educational, cultural, and social events and activities; investing in Armenia and locally by fundraising for worthwhile initiatives; and harnessing their collective power through cooperation and collaboration on regional and global projects.

The story of the YPNC San Francisco Winter Gala and the YPGNY Silent Auction & Cocktail Party shows how a group can take action and make a big difference. Does your group want to organize a similar event for the AGBU Humanitarian Emergency Relief Fund for Syrian Armenians? We’re always here to help.

To learn more, send us an email at giving@agbu.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

To donate or learn more about AGBU’s relief efforts, please visit: https://agbu.org/syriarelief/help_syria.pdf.