ANC Glendale Hosts 6th Annual Armenian Christmas Celebration
January 21, 2010

Glendale, CA - The Armenian National Committee –Glendale Chapter welcomed over 200 local supporters, activists, elected officials, and community leaders for its 6th Annual Armenian Christmas Celebration on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at the K&M Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center. The event gave guests an opportunity to learn about the organization's achievements in the past year, meet the newly appointed ANCG Co-Chairmen Leonard Manoukian and Sarkis Ourfalian, Board of Directors, Garnik Abrahamian, Armik Avedissian, Mikael Kourinian, Sarkis Poladian, Talar Shekherdimian, and Zareh Sinanyan and ANCG Fundraising Committee Chairwoman, Jacklin Boyadjian and get a tour of the Youth Center.

“We were very pleased with the number of guests and city officials who graced us with their presence. However, we were also disappointed that many high ranking city officials, including all 5 city council members, chose not to attend an event celebrating Armenian Christmas, despite the fact that over 40% of their constituents are of Armenian descent,” stated ANCG Co-Chairman, Sarkis Ourfalian.  

Executive Director of ANCG, Elen Asatryan, who served as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening opened the program by thanking those present for their continuous support of the Armenian National Committee – Glendale Chapter and for working with the organization on the common goal of bettering the City of Glendale.   Father Vasken Atmajian from the Western Prelacy delivered the invocation and gave a brief history lesson about Armenian Christmas.  
 
ANCG Co-Chairman, Leonard Manoukian, took stage to introduce the 2009-2010 Board of Directors, and discussed some of structural changes to take place within the organization in the coming months, including the establishment of various working sub-committees.   Consecutively, ANCG Co-Chairman Sarkis Ourfalian gave an overview of the many accomplishments of the organization in 2009 as well as the ANC-Glendale Internship Program.

This was all topped off with the distribution of certificates to the 2009 ANCG Internship Program graduates: Talar Alexanian, Caroon Al-Rayes, Sarkis Balagyozyan, Erik Dalir, Marie Danielian, Talar Kakilian, Katya Kazarian, Sanan Mehseredjian, Poulineh Manasi, Souren Abraham Odabachian, Hakop Oganesyan, Arax Sarkisyan, and Anasheh Tahmasian.

ANC-Glendale also used the Annual Christmas Celebration to collect non perishable food items.   Over 1500 items will be delivered to the Glendale Salvation Army in the coming week to help the local charity restock since more families are seeking free services due to financial constraints.

ANC Glendale advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels. 
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