PASADENA—Week after week, month after month, they keep coming to the new Pasadena Armenian Center on Foothill Boulevard. They come to learn, to play, to share a unique experience and forge a common bond. Who are they? They are the proud members of the ARF Badenagan Pasadena “Nigol Touman” Chapter. With over eighty members and a dedicated team of senior advisors, the Badenagan Chapter offers a promising window into how a strong community center can serve as a rallying point for a new generation of dedicated Armenian Americans.
The Pasadena Armenian Center welcomes badanees every Friday for meetings that include educational, cultural and other fun activities that bring together the youngsters – with ages ranging from 8 to 16 years of age. For decades now, the Pasadena “Nigol Touman” ARF Badenagan Chapter has provided hundreds of young Armenian Americans the tools they need – including a commitment to public service and volunteerism – to be civic leaders in both their community and in the broader society they live in.
“I am thankful that the Pasadena Armenian Center offers a safe and clean environment for my chapter members to meet every week,” remarked Aram Boghosian, a member of the chapter’s Executive Committee. “The Armenian Center is a true “getron” that gives us a chance to learn and play together,” he added.
Longtime badanee Lory Djiguerian expressed her appreciation that the new Pasadena Armenian Center has a large meeting space dedicated to badanee meetings. “To be a strong and active chapter, our badanees need a center that is welcoming and always open to them. I feel that with this new center we have a place that we can really and truly call home,” Lory shared.
Purag Momdjian, an active member of the chapter’s Executive Committee, understands that a strong community needs a strong community center. “Young Armenian Americans in the Pasadena area are clearly benefiting from our new center. Whether you are a member of the badanees like me – or a member of the Armenian Youth Federation, Homenetmen, or the Armenian Relief Society – our community is getting stronger everyday because of the Pasadena Armenian Center,” Momdjian added.
The ARF Badenagan Pasadena “Nigol Touman” Chapter will be participating in an annual winter educational camp later this month. The chapter will also be participating in an Olympic style athletic competition with other chapters later this year. Earlier this year, the chapter participated prominently in a celebration of the ARF’s 120th anniversary held at Glendale High School’s auditorium, where over 120 badanees from three chapters sang patriotic songs before a crowd of over 1,000 supporters.
The mission of the Pasadena Armenian Center is to serve the dynamic and diverse Armenian American community in the City of Pasadena. A number of distinguished community organizations are based out of the Pasadena Armenian Center. These organizations include, but are not limited to, the Armenian Youth Federation “Nigol Touman” Chapter, the Armenian Relief Society “Sosse” Chapter, the Hamazkayin “Shahan Shahnour” Chapter, the Homenetmen “Azadamard” Chapter, and the Armenian Cultural Foundation, among others. Additional information regarding the Pasadena Armenian Center, situated at 2242 East Foothill Boulevard, can be secured by visiting the center’s Facebook page or by bv visiting www.pasadenaarmeniancenter.com.
