The Armenian Museum of America Concludes 11th Annual Sports Raffle Fundraiser

The Armenian Museum of America concluded its 11th annual Sports Raffle fundraiser with a massive milestone. Raising more than $47,000 this year, the Sports Raffle has now raised more than $500,000 total since its beginning in 2005.

Proceeds from the fundraiser enable the Museum to continue educating and engaging with the community in offering the public free programs, events, and exhibitions showcasing Armenian culture, people, and history.

This year’s Final Inning Party, held on July 19 in the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries in the Museum, brought friends and donors of the Museum together to celebrate with a Fenway-style menu of hotdogs, pizza, snacks, and beverages befitting baseball.

Each year, the Museum invites a special sports celebrity to draw the winning tickets for the raffle, and this year, the Director of Football & Head Coach Administration for Bill Belechick and the New England Patriots, Berj Najarian, drew the lucky winners.

Winning prizes included the Grand Prize 22-seat Fenway Park Luxury Box, as well as 9 other sets of tickets to see the Patriots, the Bruins, the Celtics, and more Red Sox games. This year, a separate drawing was also available to win an NFL football signed by Tom Brady and Randy Moss.

In an amusing turn of events at the end of the drawing, newly-elected ALMA Board President, Michele Kolligian, won the Grand Prize Fenway Box. Before the party was over, Kolligian had decided to donate the Grand Prize tickets to a children’s charity in order to give children, who may not otherwise have the opportunity, a chance to attend a game at Fenway.

Other winners included Michael Heath (second), Stepan and Christine Kanarian (third), Andrea Berberian (fourth), Ken and Diane Samuelian (fifth), Byron Hartunian (sixth), Daron Merian (seventh), and Gerald Boghosian (ninth). Rev. Krikor Sabounjian’s tickets were drawn twice, winning him the eighth and tenth place prizes. The special drawing to win the signed football was won by David Aykanian.

The Armenian Museum extends its sincere gratitude to all those who bought tickets, as well as to the donors, trustees, and everyone who worked to make the Sports Raffle fundraiser such a success.

The Armenian Museum of America (ALMA), located in the heart of Watertown, Mass., has the distinct mission to collect and maintain Armenian artifacts, textiles and publications in order to preserve the Armenian heritage and serve as a national repository and information center on the Armenian people, history and culture.