Armenian national committee celebration nets toys, cash
The Glendale chapter of the Armenian National Committee collected 152 toys and $140 it will use to buy more toys as part of its Christmas celebration Wednesday at the Glendale Youth Center.
Half of the toys will be given to the Glendale YWCA’s domestic violence shelter. The other half will be sent to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, which occupies one of the poorest counties in the United States, according to local chapter officials.
The chapter’s new board and scholarship winners were announced at the event. Led by chairman Berdj Karapetian, the other board members are Garrett Atamian, Hilma Balaian, Kevork Talatinian, David Gevorkyan, Lena Bozoyan, Zareh Movsessian and Pierre Chraghchian. Carla Kekejian and Yervand Azatian each received $500 scholarships.
The organization doesn’t hold its Christmas celebration during the Armenian holiday because members are too busy with family and friends, said Elen Asatryan, executive director of the Glendale chapter.
“So we always do it a week later,” she said, adding that the local celebration is held close to the Armenian New Year, which is Jan. 13, according to the culture’s old calendar.
