My name is Mark Gavoor, and I coordinate the reporting of the AYF Olympics for the Armenian Weekly. I take lots of photos along with Sona Gevorkian and Tamar Kanarian. During Olympics weekend, I write daily articles recapping each day. After the weekend, I write about a third of the articles for the Weekly’s AYF Olympic Special Issue. Bob Tutunjian and Harry Derderian write the rest. Together the five of us are carrying the torch passed to us by the late and most venerable Tom Vartabedian who, by the way, used to do all of this himself. Yes, it took five of us to replace him… and we still feel we fall short.
One of the articles I like to write is one that is both of general observations of the weekend and a kind of a social who’s who at the Olympics. It is modeled after Angel Perethian’s “Angel Over Olympics” articles that were so popular in the 1970s and 80s. Tom Vartabedian would always tell me that when people got the Olympic issue of the Armenian Weekly, they would seek out and read Angel’s column first. It is my honor carry her tradition forward.
It is so easy to write about my family and friends. I spend most of the Olympics weekend with them after all. I want to meet people I do not already know so that this article is not just about people close to me.
If you are attending the 86th Annual AYF Olympics in Chicago, I want to meet you, learn what the AYF means to you, and take a photo of you, you and your friends, or your family. You will see me, camera and notepad in hand at the various athletic events, around the hotel, and at the evening dances. Stop me, introduce yourself, and tell me your story. I will try to work the vignettes and photos into my daily articles or the larger AYF Olympics Special Issue.
Even if I know you and you have a story or memory you want to share, tell me about it.
Looking forward to speaking with all of you.
Meet me in the Middle: See you in Chicago!
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