For Immediate Release ~ September 9, 1998
Contact: Armenia Fund - 818-243-6222
Glendale, CA – The Executive Board of Armenia Fund, Inc. (AFI) announced its plans for the upcoming telethon scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, November 25, during a press conference held on September 8. This event marks the official countdown to Telethon ’99.
Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian welcomed the attendees to the event, thanking them for their past support of Telethons ’96 and ’97. Stressing the need to keep politics and political figures apart from AFI’s activities, he encouraged the community to continue its support of the organization and the causes it serves.
This was the first opportunity for Zaven Khanjian, AFI’s President, to address the press in his new position. In his remarks, he thanked the attendees, on behalf of the current Executive Board, for their past support of AFI’s activities and expressed his eagerness to work with them towards yet another successful event. He went on to describe the beneficiary project of this year’s telethon, the North-South Highway in Karabagh. Stressing the vitality of this thoroughfare to ensure Karabagh’s survival and existence, he revealed that the 169-Kilometer highway is estimated to cost $25 million. “We have liberated Artsakh. The time has come to liberate the people of Artsakh,” he said. “This highway will see to it that the courageous people living in that remote region of the world are freed from the chains that bind them and will enter the 21st century along with the rest of the world.”
The first Telethon ’99 commercial was shown to the press and the telethon logo was unveiled. The attendees responded very enthusiastically and pledged their support by promising full access to the media as well as making monetary contributions.
In his closing remarks, Consul General Armen Melkonian also thanked the attendees for their past support of AFI’s telethons and urged them to continue their efforts. He emphasized the significance of the North-South Highway and the crucial role it will play in providing trade and travel to the people of Karabagh.
Telethon ’99 will air on November 25, 1999 – Thanksgiving Day – from 9am till 8pm, on KSCI-TV Channel 18. Plans are under way to air the broadcast in various heavily Armenian-populated cities, with Fresno being confirmed as one of them. Participants the world over can join in the effort via the Internet by visiting www.Armenianradio.com on telethon day.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation established in 1993 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund.
