ARARAT, Armenia—Students, parents, and faculty at the Nor Ughi Village School, in Armenia’s Ararat Province, on July 13 welcomed local and regional officials, donors and staff from the Paros Foundation to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the school’s new gym. The fundraising was spearheaded by John and June Mangassarian, who also matched all donations for this important project implemented by the Paros Foundation.
“When I first visited this school last year while I was in the village working on a Fuller Center home build, I saw the needs here and knew I wanted to help. Today is a great day for June and I to see what our family, friends and supporters accomplished working together with The Paros Foundation,” said John Mangassarian.
During the celebration, students from the school performed several dances and songs for those in attendance. Head of the consolidated community of Vedi, Garik Sargsyan offered his remarks of appreciation along with Martin Manukyan, Head of the Education, Sports and Culture Department of the Ararat Regional Governor’s Office.
School Principal Kristine Tunyan welcomed attendees and expressed her gratitude to both John and June Mangassarian for their generous support and interest in continuing to work with the school. She also thanked the Paros Foundation and its team for undertaking the renovation project.
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“Thanks to the vision and leadership of John Mangassarian and his group of supporters, the students here will be able to enjoy this gym and physical education for years to come,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of the Paros Foundation. “John has expressed interest in continuing work at the school and I look forward to our ongoing partnership for the betterment of conditions within this school,” he added.
The renovation of the gymnasium included the installation of a new ceiling, new electrical and lighting systems, new ducting and ventilation systems, new doors, and the installation of new flooring. New safety netting was installed throughout the area to protect the ceiling and windows from breakage. In addition to the gym itself, the renovation project included the gym teacher’s office, student locker rooms, and a portion of the hallway leading to the gym.
Launched in 2006, the Paros Foundation has implemented more than $13 million worth of projects in Armenia through its unique model of philanthropy and community partnership. These projects are located throughout the country with focus on Gyumri and in communities along the border with Azerbaijan. Thanks to the generous support of the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, all administrative expenses are underwritten, allowing 100% of donor contributions to be allocated in their entirety to the projects. To learn more about The Paros Foundation, or to support a project, please visit the Paros Foundation website or contact Peter Abajian, Executive Director at (310) 400-9061 or via email at peter@parosfoundation.org.