Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
February 20, 2009
Contact: Haig Hovsepian
LA Kings and ANC-WR Team Up to Make Armenian Heritage Night a Success
LOS ANGELES, CA – On Monday, February 16th the Los Angeles Kings hosted
Armenian Heritage Night during their game with the visiting Atlanta
Thrashers. The event, organized with the Armenian National
Committee-Western Region (ANC-WR), also marked the occasion of the first
visit to the King’s home ice of Thrasher’s defenseman, Zach Boghosian.
Boghosian,
a 2008 National Hockey League first-round draft pick is the first Armenian
American to be drafted to play in the NHL. Over a thousand Armenian
Americans joined with other faithful Kings fans at the Staples Center to
celebrate the occasion and raise awareness about the vibrant Armenian
community.
"Hundreds of Armenian Americans participated in the event to support their
hometown team and at the same time take pride in one of their own blazing a
trail of success at the highest levels of American sports," said Haig
Hovsepian, ANC-WR Community Relations Director. "This speaks to the heart
of our community’s drive to make a positive contribution and become leaders
across the spectrum of American society," he added.
In the days prior to the event, Boghosian commented about the Armenian
Heritage Night event on the official Thrasher’s team blog website. In his
post he discusses his heritage including his family’s surviving the Armenian
Genocide which brought the family to New York early last century.
"It’s pretty special for the Kings to have Armenian Heritage Night while I’m
playing there. My grandparents are Armenian and that part of my background
is really important to me, because even though I’m not from there it’s
always good to go back to your roots and understand where you came from,"
noted Boghosian in the posted blog.
Joining the ANC-WR for the occasion was the newly appointed Consul General
of the Republic of Armenia to Los Angeles, Krikor Hovanessian who was
recognized by the LA Kings during the first period of the game. In addition
to several shots of the many Armenian flag waving fans in the stands, the
evening included a photo montage of prominent Armenian Americans shown on
the arena’s "jumbotron" screens over center ice as well as an introduction
of the Armenian National Hockey Team which joined in on the night’s
celebrations.
Several Armenian community personalities and organizations including Asbarez
Daily Newspaper and Horizon Television were also in attendance and helped
make the evening a resounding success. Fans were treated to an exciting
game in which Boghosian earned three assists and the hometown Kings sent the
offense driven game into overtime by scoring the tying goal with only
seconds left in regulation time. Though the Thrashers won in game 7-6 in
the overtime shootout, it was an exciting evening for all on many levels.
Following the game, Armenian Heritage Night continued with a party at Club
Nokia, across from the Staples Center at which the ANC-WR hosted a table
providing the latest news on Armenian American issues as well as information
about how to get involved. Several of the young hockey fans asked more
about volunteer opportunities and the ANC’s internship programs. In
addition to the ANC, the night was flavored with various tastes of the
Armenian community including Armenian beer and Armenian artists, including
hip-hop performer R-Mean and DJ Vick One from Power 106, who mixed American
and Armenian sounds to entertain the crowd.
Several Armenian Americans in attendance expressed pride in having their
culture introduced to a broader spectrum of the American community and
expressed their gratitude to the Kings organization for hosting the event
and players, several of whom joined the fans for the post-game party. A
portion of the proceeds from the event were generously donated to the
ANC-WR.
The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and most
influential Armenian American Grassroots advocacy organization in the
Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated
organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances the concerns of the
Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
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