Unprecedented Grassroots Support Elevates ANCA Telethon 2014
LITTLE ARMENIA—The ANCA Telethon 2014 rallied unprecedented grassroots support during its 6 hour nationwide broadcast, today, with tens of thousands of Armenian Americans from the across the U.S. joining in a true show of community power and unity to advance the civic education efforts of the ANCA Endowment.
After a of host of informative segments on the growing Armenian American presence in all segments of civic life, along with a health dose of community commentary and entertainment, more than $2,021,763 miillion was raised at the close of the Telethon in support of the educational and grassroots development efforts of the ANCA Endowment. Highlights from the broadcast are featured on the ANCA telethon website — and the ANCA Facebook page.
This year’s telethon was accompanied by a rush of Social media support with Armenians from around the world turning to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to spread the civic development message of the ANCA Endowment. The “#goANCA” selfie campaign spotlighted community groups, families and individuals – all united around the ANCA’s community empowerment initiatives.
Supporters also showed ANCA pride, power and progress at over a dozen private receptions held across the country to ensure the organization has the financial resources it needs to expand key youth development and civic engagement programs.
Nowhere was there more enthusiasm for ANCA initiatives than on the various Armenian School campuses throughout California, where educators used ANCA Telethon as a teaching moment to instill the importance for youth civic involvement and community pride from kindergarten to the high school level.
The ANCA Endowment Fund supports a broad range of educational, youth, and civic programs that give voice to the views and values of the Armenian American community, strengthening our presence in the American civic arena, and empowering pro-Armenian stakeholders with the information and resources they need to take on the powerful forces aligned against the Armenian nation.
The first three ANCA Endowment Fund telethons, held in 2006, 2009 and 2012, raised over $6.5 million for Armenian American educational, youth, and civic programs. Both programs touched a common emotional chord, speaking directly to the devotion to the Armenian Cause that rests in the hearts of Armenians from across the U.S., regardless of organizational or political affiliations.
Countless organizations, volunteers, churches, community leaders, local ANCAs, performing artists, Members of Congress, and state legislators from across the nation participated in the telethons, contributing to their enormous success. Both telethons featured several documentaries that highlighted various ANCA programs and numerous results the ANCA Endowment has achieved over the years, largely through its volunteer and grassroots network.
Complete coverage of ANCA Telethon 2014 will be provided in the upcoming weeks. The complete program will be rebroadcast by Horizon Armenian Television offering the community additional opportunities to support the initiative by visiting www.ancatelethon.org
Congratulations for the success. All-Armenian Fund helped support Syrian-Armenians in Syria and Armenia in many, many ways…I am thankful for that as an Armenian from alleppo. In times of great need and national emergency, will ANCA support Syrian relief efforts? I dont think it would hurt to allocate at least 10-20% to Syrian-Armenians. All-Armenian Fund did it and ANCA should do it too through its sister organizations.
i agree with kevork and good point. it is a “national” azkayin emergency..it would be better to send aid and real help to our dear brothers and sisters in syria, rather than ‘raise awareness’ and put up those hashtags. How many of those hashtags equalled to water, food to those poor people in alleppo. i have traveled to armenia and the all-armenian haygagan fund is helping our syrian-armenian brothers and sisters…scholarships, medical costs, subsidized housing. and they are doing this with accounting and transparency reporting on their website. please ANCA dont forget our sisters and brothers in syria and the refugees in armenia. you do a great job dont misunderstand me, but we have a national emergency and we must do everything we can.
@Kevork – We would not have had the need to spend 10-20% on Syrian-Armenians if they had already relocated to Armenia. That money could and should be invested in Armenia on something more sustainable such as education and infrastructure. We have had an independent Armenia for the past 20+ years. There is no excuse for Armenians still wanting to reside in volatile and dangerous countries. What good is it to raise money and fight for a homeland if no one wants to live there? What good is it to languish in Syria, Iraq or Lebanon and only dream and talk about a homeland? The fact is that many of these Armenians should have left long ago. It’s time to move on and build what is rightfully ours. Believe me, Syria nor Bashar will miss our absence. If you proclaim to be a patriotic Armenian, then Armenia should be your focus…….not the material wealth found on someone else’s land !
Why? I understand and respect what Armenians in Syria are going through.., but ANCA needs every cent of the money to continue the job they are doing …ANCA is the reason why we as Armenians exist in US, in Europe even in Lebanon and Syria…so yes I understand but I definitely don’t agree with you.