DEARBORN, Mich. and NEW MILFORD, NJ—Over 100 Junior and Senior members of the Armenian Youth Federation-Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) Eastern Region participated in the annual Junior Winter Olympics (JWO) this past weekend.
The Midwest JWO was hosted by the AYF Detroit Kopernik Tandourjian (DKT) Chapter, while the New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter hosted members from the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The event was organized by the Central Athletic Council.
In New Jersey on Friday evening, AYF members arrived at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, where they reconnected with old friends and met new members with fun icebreakers. The following morning, the AYF members enjoyed a bagel breakfast donated by J&J Bagels and then boarded the bus headed for DEO Middle School in New Milford. Participants enjoyed playing basketball, chess, checkers and backgammon as families and AYF seniors cheered them on.
“I am so excited to be playing basketball with my friends,” said Gregory Alashaian, a first-time JWO attendee from the New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter.
On the basketball court, the championship game between the New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter older boys and the mixed team definitely kept spectators on their toes. The game ran into overtime, but the New Jersey Chapter ultimately triumphed and took first place in all four basketball brackets.
The following winners were announced during an awards ceremony.
- Older Chess: Alex Dardarian, Philadelphia “Sebouh”
- Younger Chess: Haig Penenian, Washington DC “Sevan”
- Older Checkers: Zaven Kouchakdjian, Middlesex County West “Musa Ler”
- Younger Checkers: Taline Kopoyan, Worcester “Aram”
- Older Backgammon: Peter Setrakian, New Jersey “Arsen”
- Younger Backgammon: Van Hekimian, Washington DC “Sevan”
A delicious, home-cooked pasta dinner prepared by the mothers of AYF New Jersey Junior members warmed everyone’s hearts.
At night, AYF members enjoyed an intense game of musical chairs and ‘minute to win it’ challenges. Zabella Aslanian represented her team during the final round where she became the champion.
Juniors were also provided updates with ongoing developments in Artsakh and reminded about their role as part of the AYF—to embody the instinctual spirit of survival and revolution and remain steadfast in our commitment. AYF members, Junior and Senior, ended the evening with traditional Armenian dances.
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The 2022 JWO was a special event for many young Armenians, including Nanor Karageozian of the newly reinstated Albany “Shoushi” Chapter. “My favorite part about JWO was making new friends,” said Karageozian when asked about her first JWO experience.
In Detroit, dozens of AYF Juniors and Seniors from the Midwest region arrived on Friday night for a lock-in at St. Sarkis Church hall. After a night of popcorn and movies, the Juniors rolled out their sleeping bags to rest ahead of a day of competitions.
On Saturday morning after breakfast, the Juniors decided to mix chapters and compete together as a large family. They played games of basketball and volleyball. The older Juniors did a fantastic job leading the younger Juniors by showing them how to improve their skills like serving, dribbling and passing. After a quick lunch, it was time for dodgeball and kickball.
“My favorite part of the day was getting to watch my senior ungers lose in dodgeball,” said Armen Krikorian, a member of the Chicago “Ararat” chapter.
Before dinner, members of the AYF Chicago and Detroit chapters stood hand in hand to welcome a new AYF member during his swearing-in ceremony. Levon Jamgotchian became a member of the AYF Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” chapter on his birthday. A cake was presented during a memorable celebration.
At night, the Juniors enjoyed playing Armenian-themed carnival games including “Toss the ball in Lake Sevan,” “Help the boat across the Arax River,” “Catch the ձուկ” and skee-ball. AYF members indulged in cotton candy and ended the night with board games and rounds of chess and backgammon.
The Central Executive is excited to finally be bringing AYF juniors back together again after two years of difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AYF-ER Juniors and Seniors are looking ahead to Memorial Day weekend and preparing for the 2022 Junior Seminar to be held in Fombell, Pennsylvania.
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