THOUSAND OAKS : Concert Raises $5,000 to Benefit Armenian City

More than 200 people turned out Sunday to enjoy the music of Armenia and support Thousand Oaks’ sister city there, which is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake seven years ago.

Organizers said they raised at least $5,000 at the second annual concert featuring Armenian American musicians playing their own compositions as well as those of well-known Armenian composers at Thousand Oaks’ Civic Arts Plaza.

“I wanted to make the non-Armenian community aware of the beauty of our culture,” said organizer Annabelle Lee Darakjian. “I thought this would be a great way to raise money for our sister city.”

Several members of the Thousand Oaks City Council as well as Armenian Consul General Armen Baibourtian attended the fund-raiser.

A citizens budget committee recommended last summer that the city eliminate the $32,000 the sister city program receives annually, a matter the City Council is scheduled to discuss in January.

Committee Chairman Raymond Garcia, a former city councilman, opened the concert by proclaiming a strong future for the sister city relationship.

“I just want to tell people that we’re happy, we’re healthy, we’re here and we plan to be here for many years to come,” he said, discussing plans for an upcoming youth exchange. The relationship between Thousand Oaks and the Armenian city of Spitak, a community of 25,000 people 60 miles northwest of the capital of Yerevan, began after an earthquake devastated the town seven years ago. Donations from Thousand Oaks have been used to rebuild an apartment complex in Spitak and sponsor cultural exchange programs.

Garcia said his visits to Armenia had reinforced his belief in the importance of the international link between Thousand Oaks and Spitak.

“I saw the living conditions of the people there,” he said. “They don’t have any heat in winter.”

The concert featured performances by Vatche Mankerian on piano, the Garabedian String Quartet, Alan Roubik on piano and John Bilezikjian on the oud.

Hasmig Sherbetjian of Thousand Oaks brought her family to the concert to share in the beauty of Armenian culture.

“It’s a part of our heritage,” she said. “I think it’s great. They’re doing wonderful things.”

Fran Nunez of Ventura said she came to the concert for two reasons.

“We enjoy the giving and we enjoy listening to beautiful music,” she said.

Some of the money raised at the concert will fund a new scholarship, established in honor of Michael Hagopian, who fought to establish the sister city relationship. Hagopian accepted the honor with tears in his eyes.