$2.9 MILLION RAISED AT CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND GALA
Friday, December 20th, 2013
Host Victor Garber, Emcee Andrea Martin, COAF Founder Garo Armen,
Auctioneer Aileen Agopian (Photo by Diran Jebejian)
Victor Garber and Andrea Martin host COAF’s successful 10th Annual
Holiday Gala
NEW YORK-The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), a non-profit organization
working to improve the living conditions for village children in
Armenia, hosted its Tenth Annual Holiday Gala on Friday, December 13,
2013 at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York. The event was a
resounding success as more than 400 longtime friends and supporters
gathered together for an unforgettable evening, and raised nearly
$3 million to support COAF’s community-led programs. Special guests
in attendance included Michael Aram, Patricia Field, Kerry Butler,
and Benjamin McKenzie.
For the seventh year in a row, Emmy and Tony Award winning actress
Andrea Martin entertained guests throughout the evening as the
Master of Ceremonies. Of Armenian descent herself, Ms. Martin is
a longtime advocate of COAF’s work. She is best known for her work
on Broadway and roles in the films Wag the Dog and My Big Fat Greek
Wedding. She received her second Tony Award this year for her role
in the critically-acclaimed show Pippin.
Award-winning film and television actor Victor Garber served as
the Honorary Chair for the evening. Mr. Garber’s introduction
to COAF was at the 2011 Gala, where he was awarded with the COAF
Humanitarian Award. Since then he has shown steadfast commitment
to the organization. He is best known for his role in major motion
pictures such as Titanic, Milk, and Argo.
Guest speakers of the evening included bestselling author Chris
Bohjalian and internationally-renowned photographer Scout Tufankjian.
A true highlight of the evening was the children who traveled to New
York from Armenia to showcase their extraordinary musical talents.
Additionally, COAF welcomed back Anahit who spoke at COAF’s 2012 Gala.
This time she was accompanied by Nerses, another of student from
Lernagog. Together, they expressed their deep appreciation for having
COAF help their great aspirations become realities.
In addition to the performances by the talented children, Kerry Butler
serenaded the crowd with a rendition of “It’s a Small World/God Bless
the Outcasts”. So You Think You Can Dance finalist Paul Karmiriyan
electrified the dance floor with his dance partner and closed out the
formal dinner, and sparked the after-party which lasted past midnight.
The event featured a high-tech silent auction using BidTech’s iPads
and a live auction conducted by Sotheby’s celebrity auctioneer Aileen
Agopian. The money raised from these auctions will jumpstart COAF’s
expansion into 100 new villages in the next 10 years.
The Children of Armenia Fund is an independent, nonprofit,
nongovernmental (501)(c)(3) organization. COAF works to secure a future
for children in Armenia’s impoverished rural villages through improved
education, health care, community life and economic conditions. At
their core, our programs create and sustain opportunities for growth
and progress.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
