Canadian-Armenians Donate $530,000 to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s Shirt Auctioned for $20 Thousand

TORONTO — Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s shirt has been sold for $20 thousand at a fundraising dinner in Toronto organized by the Canada affiliate of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

A total of $530 thousand was raised during the event held on November 12, featuring more than 400 Canadian Armenians. The event was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Canada and the 25th anniversary of Hayastan Fund.

Addressing the event, Armenia’s Ambassador to Canada Levon Mnatsakanyan emphasized the Fund’s role in the development of Armenia and Artsakh.

Chairman of the Toronto affiliate of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Meguerditch Meguerditchian provided details about the last 12 programs, stating that the Toronto affiliate has carried out a total of 72 projects with donations from the Armenians of Toronto. Through the last initiatives, the Toronto affiliate built a school in Ukhtasar village; donated an ambulance truck to Dadivank village and provided the village with water supply; built four apartment buildings in Tchartar, Ukhtadzor, Kusapat and Lusadzor; built bathrooms near the monastic complexes in Shushi, Amaras and Dadivank; built a Life Center in Khndzoristan and an outdoor playground for the school in Nalbandyan village (repaired and partially rebuilt through a donation from Toronto-Armenian benefactors Berjouhi and Armen Nalbandians in 2016). The chairman of the Toronto affiliate also presented the current initiatives and the “Water is Life” Program, which will be carried out in 2018 and will provide rural communities with irrigation water. This major program includes drilling of deep wells and the construction of an electric pump station and water pipelines that will help transfer irrigation water to land parcels of multi-member families, allowing those families to cultivate their lands.

Local affiliates of the Fund hold similar fundraising events in different countries of the world ahead of the annual Telethon to be held on November 23.

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 20th annual International Telethon will take under the slogan “Fruitful Artsakh”. The proceeds from the major fundraising will help bolster agriculture in Artsakh through two significant projects: drilling deep-water wells and installation of new irrigation water networks; and installation of solar power stations.

Telethon 2016, held under the slogan “My Artsakh,” raised $15.428.777. Proceeds from the pan-national event has benefited the rebuilding of war-ravaged communities in Artsakh, emergency and disaster preparedness for Armenia and Artsakh, and the construction of homes for Artsakh families with multiple children.