5 January 2017
AGBU Plovdiv Raises over 6000 USD for Bulgarian-Armenian Youth Participation in Summer Programs in Armenia
On November 26, in the elegant and festive Ball Hall of Park Hotel Imperial, AGBU Plovdiv marked AGBU 110 years anniversary during a Charity Gala Dinner Dance intended to raise funds for Bulgarian-Armenian youth participation in Summer Programs in Armenia, organized by AGBU and the RA Ministry of Diaspora.
The event was honored by distinguished guests, who showed their support throughout the Charity Gala, as well as by the prominent presence of H.V.R. Archimandrite Isahak Poghosyan, R.F. Hrach Muradyan, Spiritual Pastor of Armenians in Plovdiv, H.E. Armen Sargsyan, RA Ambassador in Bulgaria, H.E. Ehiazar Uzunyan, RA Honorary Consul in Plovdiv, Mr. Berdj Djanikian, Armenian Church Council of Plovdiv chairman, Ing. Ivan Totev, Mayor of Plovdiv, Mr. Rozalin Petkov, Vice Mayor of Plovdiv, and Mr. Sahak Chalakyan, ARF Dashnaktsutyun chairman.
The opening of the gala was highlighted by a short multimedia presentation about the Summer Programs in Armenia that have hosted young participants from Bulgaria in the last few years. Hripsime Erniasyan, AGBU Voice bi-monthly newspaper editor in chief, presented the participants from Plovdiv and the country, who have benefited from the initiative that initially raised funds three years ago, and participated in summer programs in the period 2013-2016. It summed up to 10 participants for the past three years, in various AGBU and RA Ministry of Diaspora Summer Programs, namely Antranig Scout Camp, Erevan Summer Internship Program, Musical Armenia, Etchmiadzin Youth Seminar, International Youth Seminar Erevan, and AriDun.
The Charity Gala exceeded the amount it raised during its first edition in 2013 and the community is hopeful that the initiative will reach out to more young Armenians from Bulgaria to find summer programs that suit their interests and qualifications.
AGBU Plovdiv members and Melkonian Graduates, Hripsime Nourikian and Sylvia Gelgelyan, were the driving force behind the event, along with their firm belief in the future of our community and the vital importance of reconnecting the youth to their heritage. Alongside, they attracted a large number of prominent Armenian businessmen and donors who joined in the mission of AGBU to continue playing a significant role in upholding Armenian traditions and values and making a difference in the lives of Armenians worldwide.
