Los Angeles, November 12, 2018 – Armenia Fund USA’s 21st annual international Thanksgiving Day Telethon will take place on November 22, from 10 am to 10 pm PST.
“Our sacred mission – to strengthen Independent Armenian Statehood by helping Armenia develop and thrive – has not changed through all these years. For the past 26 years and thanks to the generous support of our donors around the world, the Armenia Fund has benefitted tens of thousands of our compatriots in Armenia and in Artsakh. Together, we have built roads, provided children with education and care, given drinking and irrigation water to villagers, secured dignified retirement for senior citizens, provided free medical care to patients of all ages, assisted those with disabilities, and secured permanent housing for vulnerable families in the Gyumri earthquake zone and beyond.” – said Maria Mehranian, Armenia Fund President.
This year, the Telethon will carry the campaign slogan “New Armenia.” Proceeds from the pan-national event will benefit two major programs, aimed at boosting agriculture in Artsakh and developing solar-energy infrastructures in both Artsakh and Armenia. These initiatives encompass the drilling of deep-water wells and construction of drip-irrigation networks across Artsakh; and the installation of solar-energy systems including solar panels, heaters, and substations throughout the Homeland.
“Artsakh has rich water resources, however, most of the water is located underground and less than ten percent of the country’s 250,000 acres of arable land are currently cultivated. Our objective today is to make irrigation water available to farmers all over Artsakh, through the construction of deep-water wells and state-of-the-art drip-irrigation networks.” – said Sarkis Kotanjian, Executive Director of Armenia Fund.
“As importantly,” Kotanjian continued, “one of our core strategic goals is to help Armenia and Artsakh become energy-independent, by enabling them to harness the power of the sun on a mass scale — from homes and community centers to factories and universities. These agricultural and green-energy projects, which also include training and education components, will create hundreds of new jobs and ensure good incomes for farmers, in effect giving all beneficiaries a powerful incentive to continue to live and work in the Homeland.”
Telethon 2018 will feature appearances by special guests from Armenia and Artsakh as well as local community leaders. The Telethon will showcase many newly-produced project documentaries and reports, as well as entertainment and music, with live performances by renowned artists and bands.
Originating from Los Angeles, the Telethon 2018 will air live in San Francisco, Fresno, Las Vegas, New York, and New Jersey. The 12-hour live fundraiser will simultaneously be webcast across the world on www.ArmeniaFund.org.
Since its inception in 1994, Armenia Fund, along with its international partners, has carried out over 50,000 projects in Armenia and Artsakh, with a total value of $350 million, through the support of close to 700,000 donors worldwide. These projects include the construction or renovation of more than 605 kilometers of roads and highways; 580 kilometers of water pipelines, networks, and canals; 149 kilometers of gas pipelines and networks; 70 kilometers of power lines; 359 schools and kindergartens; 24 community centers; 500 houses and apartments; 75 hospitals and clinics; 58 cultural and sports centers; and 100 greenhouses; as well as 169 educational, cultural, and scientific initiatives.
