UNIVERSAL CITY—More than 500 Homenetmen members, supporters, and guests filled the Universal Hilton Hotel’s banquet hall on Sunday, July 1 for the Victory Banquet celebrating the vast accomplishments of the athletes participating in the 37th Navasartian Games.
Guests included Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian; Consul General Grigor Hovhannesyan; Homenetmen Central Executive members Hagop Tufenkjian and Viken Tavitian; ACF Central Committee member Koko Topalian; ARS Regional Executive Board members; Adrin Nazarian, candidate of the California State Assembly; and numerous Homenetmen members, including Honorary Presidents and Exemplary Homenetmen Members from years past. The event also had the strong support of jewelers, whose attendance displayed their solidarity with this year’s Honorary President, who also serves as the President of the Armenian Jewelers Association.
After a one-hour cocktail reception during which the crowd mingled, guests occupied their seats for the start of the evening’s official program. Banquet Organizing Committee Chairperson Shant Haytayan, who MCed the program, welcomed guests and thereafter invited Lara Gharibian to sing the American national anthem, followed by Homenetmen scout Ivonna Krikorian, who sang the Armenian national anthem and the Homenetmen anthem.
Archbishop Mardirossian delivered his blessings, extending well wishes for the Navasartian Games and congratulations to the Honorary President, Mr. & Mrs. Gagik and Madine Gevorkian, and the 2012 Exemplary Homenetmen Member Maro Kechichian. The Prelate also read a letter of blessings by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I sent on the occasion of the 37th Navasartian Games.
During dinner, guests viewed two video presentations, one of which covered the history of the Navasartian Games and the other presented a biographical sketch of the Honorary President.
Following dinner, Congressman Brad Sherman delivered remarks and presented a symbolic American flag, which has flown at the White House, as well as its certificate of authenticity that was accepted by Homenetmen Regional Executive Chairperson Garnik Abrahamian.
On behalf of the Homenetmen Regional Executive, Vicken Dakessian took to the podium and delivered a message to guests, stating “Looking around and within the boundaries of this banquet hall, I can’t but admire all your individual and collective talent, intellect, personal achievements and financial powers, thus tonight I am going to challenge all of us to work together as one to exert all thinkable and imaginable means to advance the Navasartian Games to boundless frontiers. Let us all be a source of strength and a great example to each other.”
Thereafter, Dakessian outlined the qualities of an Exemplary Homenetmen Member and, soon after, invited this year’s honoree, Maro Kechichian, to the stage. Kechichian thanked the Homenetmen Regional Executive for bestowing her with the honor and expressed her contentment with belonging to an organization such as Homenetmen, where she has learned much to become a confident, bold, and patriotic individual. She went on to praise the collective forces that lie at the essence of the organization, which feeds it strength and leaves no room for personal gains. Following her heartfelt speech, Kechichian received a memorable plaque from the Homenetmen Regional Executive.
Soon after, in a much anticipated moment in the evening, the official transfer of the tricolor ribbon took place from one honorary president to the current one. As such, the 35th Honorary President George Jamgochian transferred the ribbon to Mr. & Mrs. Gagik and Madine Gevorkian. Mr. Gevorkian delivered a warm and touching speech affirming what an asset Homenetmen is as an organization to the Armenian people, confidently expressing his pride to be an Armenian and belonging to a people from which such an organization was established and continues to grow, inspire, and discipline the younger generation. Gevorkian gave special mention to the fact that the realization of what a fundamental role Homenetmen plays for the Armenia youth is what became the decisive factor for him to accept the role of Honorary President.
He concluded by encouraging guests to continue their show of support by attending the Navasartian Games and closing ceremony, all the while affirming his backing of the organization. Thereafter, he was presented with memorabilia from Regional Executive Chairperson Abrahamian.
Officials including Los Angeles City Councilmember Dennis Zine and Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel also appeared before guests with encouraging words, as did Michael Landver, a long-time friend of Honorary President Gevorkian.
After the end of the evening’s official program, guests enjoyed music from DJ Vazken and celebrated late into the evening with enthusiastic spirit.
The diamond bracelets on the wrists of the ladies in the picture will house at least 100 families in Gyumri who have been sleeping in temporary housing since the earthquake.
Please stop showing off your jewels, stop spending money on your vanities, stop wasting time.
It is time for the Armenian political parties to organize a massive immigration to Armenia(at least a million Armenians) to prop up the economy of the homeland.
I remember my Armenian history teacher in Beirut Mr. Kersam Aharonian’s words. “as long as Armenia’s population is less than five million our nation will always be at risk of annihilation”.
Armenia’s population is around 2.5 million at best and continues to dwindle.
Armenian population growth rate is alarmingly low.
Armenian oligarchs are sucking the blood out of Armenia’s citizens.
Stop wasting money on yearly commemorations of the Genocide and start spending money to improve the lives of Armenia’s citizens so they stay in their homeland.
Stop giving your hard earned dollars to the owners of the Sheraton Universal and start sending money to the military in Armenia.
Stop this nonsense and start rebuilding the economy in the homeland.
But the first order is to “get rid” of the oligarchs”. They are worse than our traditional enemies.
Domestic enemies should be neutralized first!!!!!!!!!!!
Ihave one thing to say to you mr zareh why don’t you ask the Armenian government to stop the corruption
Very true Zareh, but asbarez will probably delete your comment because you speak the truth.