Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 N Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-243-6222
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PRESS RELEASE
Contact ~ Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]
Armenia Fund’s 10th Annual Telethon to Air Nov. 22
Live 12-Hour Program will Air Internationally
Los Angeles, CA – Armenia Fund’s 10th International Telethon is set to
air on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007 from 8am-8pm PST (16:00-04:00
GMT). This year’s program will once again reach millions of households
in the United States, as well as international viewers across all
continents via satellite and cable. The 12 hour live program will stream
on the internet at
Armenia Fund’s Telethon, a Thanksgiving Day tradition since Armenia’s
independence, will once again unite Armenians across the globe around
one goal – helping the Armenian homeland stand strong on its feet. Every
year for the past 10 years, this gargantuan effort brings together more
than 50 professionals and 200 volunteers.
`It takes about 6 months to put the show together’, said Armenia Fund
U.S. Western Region Executive Director, Sarkis Kotanjian. `The Telethon
is a collaboration of video production teams in Yerevan and Los Angeles.
Television is a unique medium to visually report back to the community
on the projects that have been accomplished or are currently underway
thanks to donations from the previous year’s Telethon. It is also a
great way of letting people see for themselves today’s needs of Armenia
and Artsakh and let them know how they can become a part of the solution
of many problems’, added Kotanjian.
This year, for the first time, the Telethon will air from the studios of
the Los Angeles affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), KCET
in Hollywood. The program will go on live on KSCI-LA Ch. 18 in the
Greater Los Angeles area. The state of the art facility has decades of
experience in hosting live telethons, including the Jerry Lewis MDA
Telethon, Chabad Telethon and various PBS telethons. The studio, which
is a non-profit organization itself, utilizes cutting edge technology
and is equipped to produce programs in high-definition format.
`We got telethons down to a science, but that’s technical. The most
important task is to create the emotional attachment of the viewer to
the program. I want our audience to think with their hearts, not their
minds. What comes from the heart goes to the heart…’, said Telethon
2007 Executive Producer Michael Levin. Levin and his production team
draw years of experience in producing nation-wide telethons at KCET. `I
traveled extensively through almost every region in Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. I saw the direct positive impact that Armenia Fund’s projects
had on people’s lives. The rebuilding of an independent Armenian nation
is an important cause and I am honored and proud to be part of the
effort,’ added Levin.
The Telethon will feature special guests from Armenia and Artsakh.
Newly-elected President of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan and Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian will appear live during the program.
The musical program has been developed under the meticulous attention of
Stepan Partamian, the Telethon’s Music Producer, who also led the
production of the `Spirit of Armenia’, a first ever Armenian concert at
the Hollywood Bowl in July drawing international acclaim. `The concert
at the Hollywood Bowl presented a quality display of the global reach of
the Armenian culture. Music has a universal appeal and Armenian music is
so rich, colorful and emotional. On the day of the Telethon it will add
to the spirit of unity, when every Armenian around the world is pitching
in to create a better future for the Homeland’, said Partamian.
The telethon will feature close to 40 musical performances, drawing an
all-star lineup of Armenian performers from Armenia and the United
States. The participation of music stars from Armenia was made possible
through Armenia Fund’s partnership with the Eyeflash Entertainment
Company, the organizers of this year’s Annual Armenian Music Awards. The
program is set to take place at the Gibson Amphitheater on Friday,
November 23, following the Telethon. `We are grateful to the Armenian
Music Awards’ team and personally to Mr. Grant Chorliyan for the
opportunity to feature the biggest stars on Armenia’s music horizon
during Telethon 2007,’ said Kotanjian.
The Telethon’s centric theme will focus on human stories in the context
of responding to the urgent needs of rural Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Proceeds from the Telethon will benefit Armenia Fund’s Village
Development Program. The newly adopted program will focus on
revitalizing a cluster of villages in the Tavush Region of Armenia, and
the Martuni Region of Artsakh. To ensure long-term sustainability and
generate income for the villagers, the multilevel infrastructure
development program will incorporate an economic component as well. The
implementation of the Village Development Program will be coordinated
with the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corp., the World Bank,
and the UNDP.
The 10th International Armenia Fund Telethon will air in all major
Armenian-American communities in the U.S., as well as internationally on
H1-Armenian Public Television () across all continents.
Horizon 24 Hour Armenian TV, the largest Armenian Diaspora TV network
(), will also air the Telethon in its entirety,
on its cable and satellite networks. For more information, please log on
to
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $160 million in
development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is
the U.S. Western Region affiliate of "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. Tax
ID# 95-4485698