Program to Benefit Water Projects in Artsakh Los Angeles, CA - Raising funds for drinking water and irrigation projects in Artsakh, Armenia Fund's "Water is Life" International Thanksgiving Day Telethon will air live from Hollywood today, from 8am to 8pm PST coast-to-coast and around the world. Airing for 12 hours, Telethon 2010 will reach every continent, entering Armenian homes through satellite, cable and the internet. The Telethon will bring together Armenians from all walks of life regardless of their political or religious views and affiliations around one purpose: to bring life to Artsakh villages by giving them round-the-clock access to clean drinking and irrigation water. The shortage of water is a serious problem in Artsakh affecting more than 70,000 people living in 200 villages. On average, each family spends 40% of their daily lives carrying water from a source 2-5 miles away. That water is not always clean - 88% of all diseases are related to tainted drinking water. Today, more than 100,000 acres of agricultural lands are dry due to the lack of irrigation water and people in the villages are unable to grow crops and have incomes. Water is a serious economic engine and the driving force behind agriculture. Armenia Fund's pilot projects in the Tavush region of Armenia have proven that every $1 invested in improved water access yields an average of $12 in economic returns. In the United States alone the potential audience for the Telethon is around 55 million households in the states of Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. In Southern California, the Telethon can be viewed on KSCI Channel 18, KVMD, ARTN/Shant and USArmenia networks for full 12 hours. In the Glendale/Burbank/Pasadena/La Canada areas in addition to ARTN/Shant (388) and USArmenia (386), the Telethon broadcast will also be shown on AABC (384), HighVision (381) and Horizon Armenian TV (385) channels. The live 12 hour webcast can be viewed at www.ArmeniaFund.org In Armenia, the Telethon can be viewed for full 12 hours on H1, Armenia, Shant and Yerkir Media networks beginning 20:00. The General Sponsor of Telethon 2010 is VivaCell MTS and the Los Angeles Major Partner is Karoun Dairies USA.

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