SOAR Holds 10th Anniversary Gala  

The Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR), the only non-profit organization whose singular mission is to provide humanitarian assistance to orphaned Armenians worldwide, hosted its 10th anniversary gala on Sat., March 14, at the Sheraton University City Hotel in Philadelphia. More than 370 attendees enjoyed the festivities, which included cocktails, dinner, a silent auction, and musical entertainment from the Hamazkayin Meghry Dance Group, the Artsakh Band, and international superstar Robert Chilingirian.

Sister Arousiag Sajonian
Sister Arousiag Sajonian

SOAR welcomed Sister Arousiag Sajonian, superior of the Our Lady of Armenia Center (Gyumri, Armenia) and the Our Lady of Armenia Summer Camp (Tsaghgadzor, Armenia). Keynote speaker Dr. Ronald Suny offered prescient words on the nexus between the orphan experience and genocide. SOAR then honored two long-time supporters, attorney Mark Geragos and artist Michael Aram.

Geragos cemented his national reputation as a trial lawyer by SOARgeragosrepresenting various renowned celebrities, including Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, Chris Brown, “James Bond” movie director Lee Tamahori, talk show host Rickie Lake, actress Gail O’Grady, Congressman Gary Condit, Academy Award-nominated actress Winona Ryder, pop star Michael Jackson, Nicole Ritchie, singer Chris Brown, hip hop stars Nathaniel “Nate Dogg” Hale and Sean “Diddy” Combs (a.k.a. Puff Daddy), international arms dealer Sarkis Soghanalian, and the family of Nataline Sarkisyan, whose 17-year-old daughter died when CIGNA Healthcare refused to authorize a liver transplant.

Michael Aram is an American-born artist who works primarily in metal. After studying fine art in New York in the

Michael Aram
Michael Aram

late 1980’s, Aram took what would be a life-altering trip to India where he discovered rich metalworking traditions. Inspired to work with craftsmen whose skills, he felt, were greatly untapped, Aram turned his creative energies towards craft-based design, setting up a home and workshop in New Delhi. Aram’s work reflects humanity through the directness of the handmade process, as each piece is lovingly made using age-old techniques. This energy is further enhanced by the tension of line, form, and meaning that is characteristic of Aram’s work. This broad diversity embodies Aram’s versatility as an artist who is comfortable working on private commissions, one-of-a-kind pieces for gallery shows, or pieces that are affordable to a wider audience.

SOAR further honored three of its own family. Kohar Mardiros Pelter, SOAR-Ventura County Chapter president and regional director in the western U.S., was named the 2014 Chapter Volunteer of the Year. Ani and Aren Dardarian, students at the Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor, Pa., were named the 2014 Junior Volunteers of the Year. Congratulations to all.

Today, SOAR provides assistance to approximately 2,000 orphaned Armenians across 31 institutions in Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk, Lebanon, and Syria. Headquartered in the suburbs of Philadelphia, SOAR has more than 400 volunteers in 80 chapters and junior groups around the world.

For more information about SOAR, visit www.soar-us.org or contact George S. Yacoubian, Jr., SOAR’s Executive Board chairman, by calling (610) 213-3452 or e-mailing gyacoubian@soar-us.org.

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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