Armenian church in Detroit fundraises for Baku monument

St. John Armenian Church Of Greater Detroit
22001 Northwestern Highway
Southfield, MI 48075
248-569-3405
Pastor
Father Garabed Archpriest Kochakian
stjohnsarmenianchurch.org

PRESS RELEASE
January 15, 2011

Southfield, MI
By: Julia Papiyants

Sparked by the independence movement of Armenians living in
Nagorno-Karabagh accompanied by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
Baku and Sumgait pogroms targeted the historic Armenian minority in
Azerbaijan beginning in 1988. Mobs of extremist Azeris attacked and
killed Armenians in streets and in their homes, and until today , the
survivors have lived a similar fate as those from the 1915
genocide. Thousands of Armenians were forced to flee their homes and
leave their lives behind. Since then, many have fled to the United
States and have slowly established their lives in different states,
creating a newer community of Armenian refugee-immigrants.

Twenty two years have passed since the faithful days of the
pogroms. In recognition of these devastating crimes against humanity,
and specifically against Armenians, St. John Armenian Church of
Greater Detroit has planned to place a memorial on its grounds. To
raise its goal of $35,000, the Baku Memorial Monument Planning
Committee recently planned a benefit dinner for December 4, 2011
. After several weeks of arranging, the event was anticipated to be an
enormous success – and it did not disappoint. Father Garabed Kochakian
blessed the table in front of a full house, and the night began on a
perfect note. From the splendid food to the beautifully lit and
decorated venue, both generously provided by Garri and Kristina
Mazmanov at their restaurant, Allegro, in West Bloomfield, Michigan,
to the help of volunteer staff, and finally, to the traditional
Armenian sounds of Garri Hovakimian, Alex Mazmanian, and Tamara
Yesayan, the night’s success proved that Armenians would never forget
the injustices committed against their people.

The benefit dinner succeeded in raising over $8,000, a large portion
of the total amount needed to erect the monument. Still, the goal has
not been met and additional fundraising is imperative. The Planning
Committee has set an additional date for an event in February at the
church hall, and St. John’s looks forward to fundraising enough money
needed to make this dream a reality sometime soon. To contribute to
this endeavor, a tax deductible donation can be made by check, payable
to St. John Armenian Church with “Baku Memorial Fund” in the memo
section. Credit cards and other forms of donation are welcomed and can
be made by calling St. John Armenian Church at (248) 569 – 3405. For
more information, please visit stjohnsarmenianchurch.org. To stay
updated via e-mail for additional information on this event and all
future events, or for pictures from this fundraiser, please contact
Julia Papiyants at [email protected] .

Pictures:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress