78th Annual AYF-YOARF Olympic Games a Success

By Sahak Zakarian

Another memorable Olympics weekend, done in true Chicago Style. And while it did make it onto the “greatest-time-of-my-life” list for many people, it took a lot of hard work and two full years of planning for the people behind the scenes.  Many thanks to all those involved: the Governing Body, the Chicago Steering Committee, the Chicago “Ararat” Chapter, as well as the Chicago community for making the whole weekend possible.

Members of the Chicago 'Ararat' and Toronto 'Simon Zavarian' chapters after their softball game

The 78th Annual Olympics started out with a boat cruise on the famous Spirit of Chicago at Chicago’s Navy Pier on the shores of Lake Michigan. Over 200 passengers enjoyed scenic views of the Chicago skyline as well as wonderful food, drinks, and entertainment provided by Chicago’s DJ Zohrab.

Friday morning kicked off the start of the Olympic games with tennis, golf, and swimming events. Also, the alumni golf tournament, with about two dozen participants, took place at the elegant Poplar Creek Country Club in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

As the athletes were returning from their events, preparations were underway for the combined Alumni/AYF dance. A committee of Chicago community members, most of them AYF alumni and parents of AYFers, prepared a delicious array of home-cooked dishes for the evening’s dinner. The night began with the Karoon band and Chicago All Stars playing everyone’s favorite traditional Armenian songs.  The crowd was surprised by a performance by the Chicago Hamazkayin “Sardarabad” Dance Ensemble, accompanied by dhol and zurna players. The performance not only got the crowd excited for the night ahead, but reminded us all of the traditions we share. The party continued after Kings Artin Dermenjian and Avedis Harold Mardoian, Queen Julie Eshkhanian, and Varadian Armenian Spirit Award recipient Hermine Kholamian, received their awards. (Mary Mardoian accepted the King award in place of the late Avedis Harold Mardoian.) The night will remain a memorable night in AYF Olympics history, as it brought together many generations of AYFers to celebrate the legacy they have all worked to create.

Saturday was dedicated to softball. Unfortunately the tournament saw an early end due to thunderstorms. For the first time in AYF history, two teams were awarded the softball trophy: the Toronto “Zavarian” Chapter and the New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter.

The Hamazkayin Sardarabad Dance Ensemble performing Hzor Hayastan at Friday night’s AYF/Alumni Dance

The night was celebrated with a magnificent performance by the Pyunik band from Toronto, mostly members of the Toronto “Zavarian” Chapter, who made an impressive and memorable debut in the U.S. The night ended with members from three regions coming together and singing national and revolutionary songs. It was apparent when everyone joined under the AYF Canada flag that this weekend would not only celebrate camaraderie within the AYF, but also the unity of our people across geographic borders.

Sunday at the track featured athletes pushing themselves to their physical limits.  The opening ceremony, hosted by Chicago AYF Alumnus Raffi Killian, was opened with the presentation of the colors by Chicago Homenetmen Scouts, a procession of the participating AYF chapters, and a presentation of the large AYF Olympic flag carried by over 50 students of the Taniel Varoujan Armenian School and the Chicago Steering Committee.  The ceremony included motivating words and blessings from Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Ari Killian of the ARF Central Committee, and Ani Attar on behalf of the ARS Regional Executive Board.  Their words reminded the crowd of the importance of investing in the Armenian youth, as they are the future of our nation.

Still aching from the day’s athletic events, the athletes, their families, and the Chicago community all made a showing at the AYF Grand Ball.  An East Coast mash-up starring Michael Gostanian, Antranig and Jim Kzirian, Chris Vosbikian, Dave Hoplamozian, Aram Hovagimian, and John Harotian took the stage and kept everyone on the dance floor. Anticipation grew as CE members Phil Nigon and Raffi Hovagimian took the stage to announce the victors of the games.

Hrag Arakelian was awarded the Ernest Nahigian Sportsmanship Award, the Greater Boston “Njdeh” Chapter was awarded the third place trophy for overall points, the Philadelphia “Sebouh” Chapter was awarded the second place trophy for overall points, and the Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter won the first place trophy for overall points with 181 points. The celebration continued until 6 a.m. with DJs Chris Habibian and Mike Kalfayan bringing a taste of Chicago nightlife to the banquet hall.

After months of training, countless days of preparation, and hours of anticipation, AYF Olympics commenced and ended as quickly as the 50-meter dash.  This Olympics weekend was special in that it was full of “firsts.” It presented the AYF with new traditions, new goals to be reached and surpassed, and it gave all who attended a glimpse of the promise the future holds for the AYF.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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