BY ADROUSHAN ANDY ARMENIAN
Armenian-American community members in Las Vegas gathered at the Sunset Park Armenian Genocide Memorial Monument to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, ranging from newborn babies to 94 year-olds, came to commemorate and pay their respects to the victims of the Genocide.
Master of Ceremonies and sophomore at University of Nevada, Las Vegas Boyd Law School Davit Sargsian invited the audience to stand up for the flag’s presentation by Homenetmen Las Vegas Artsakh Chapter scouts, followed by the Armenian and American anthems sung by Nare Asherian.
Invocation prayers were led by Rev. Fr. Artsakh Badoyan of St. Garabed Church and Pastor Sam Agulian of the Armenian Evangelical church, assisted by Deacon Raffi Roubanian of St. Garabed Church.
Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, City of Las Vegas Ward 2, presented a powerful Proclamation condemning the Azerbaijani atrocities and the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Susie Lee and Congressman Steven Horsford were all represented by their District Representatives and presented Congressional Certificates recognizing the 108th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day and in support of the Las Vegas Armenian community.
Guest speaker, Harry Hovakimian, born in Baku, described the bloodshed he witnessed as a teenager and how his family and 300,000 other Armenians escaped Azerbaijan, leaving behind all their belongings and assets.
A cultural program followed, during which dancers of the Las Vegas Armenian Dance academy, choreographed by director Gohar Yeghiayan, performed.
Harry Hovakimian and Hermann Brumm performed several Armenian classical songs on the violin.
Armenian Dance School students assisted in distributing carnations to the audience that were later placed on the Memorial Monument.
We would like to thank all performers and volunteers for their support, and in particular thanks to Mrs. Siran Nersessian for preparing the Armenian tricolor pins distributed to all participants, to Garo Bayramian for live-streaming the 55-minute program, and to all those who shared their photos. Lastly, thank you to the Armenian American Cultural Society volunteers who helped organize the 108th commemoration.
Founded in 1978, the Armenian American Cultural Society of Las Vegas is a non-profit organization and is the oldest Armenian organization serving in Nevada. Its primary mission is to promote and preserve Armenian history, culture, and heritage in Nevada.
Adroushan Andy Armenian is the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Las Vegas.
