Yerevan, June 27, 2012 – On Sunday, June 24, Mr. Vahe Jazmadarian, the General Controller and the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Board, as the key-note speaker at the annual banquet of Armenia Fund Toronto, kicked off the fundraising for the construction of two “village life centre”s in Artsakh. The MC of the evening was Tenny Nighogossian, who conducted the proceedings in front of a capacity audience, in a very charming and professional manner.The entire program was dedicated to the 20th Anniversaries of the liberation of Shushi as well as of the Armenia Fund.In his remarks, H.E. Armen Yeganian, the Ambassador of Armenia, in Canada, emphasized the key role that Armenia Fund had played during its 20 years of work, both in Armenia and Artsakh, in general, and Toronto Chapter’s projects during the same period, in particular. Migirdic Migirdician, the Chairman of Toronto Chapter, started his presentation with major good-news stories from Artsakh and Armenia, including the growing birthrate in Artsakh as well as the Tumo Centre and Fruitful-Armenia, in Armenia. Then continued his presentation with the five different projects that were realized by the Toronto Chapter over the last 12 months. Vahe Jazmadarian, the key-note speaker of the banquet, who had come specifically for this event from Cannes, France, gave a very eloquent and all encompassing speech about All-Armenia Fund’s work over the last 20 years. Mr. Jazmadarian, being the general Controller and the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board, emphasized the absolute transparency of the Fund’s finances as well as of the projects, by having two separate audits one for the finances and the other for the physical aspects of the projects during the many phases of the construction. Mr. Jazmadarian ended his presentation with the formidable statistics of the very large number of projects realized over the 20 years by the Fund’s chapters worldwide, which was welcomed by an standing ovation of the audience. The fund raising drive, which included the lighting of the 20th Anniversary candles, the donation of the Toronto students and the auctioning of a tuxedo by a world-famous tailor, was run by Giro Chahinian, in a very energetic manner. The banquet ended at a very high note with $135,000 raised from all the activities of the day, plus a single donation of $180,000, a total of $315,000 was raised, towards two “Village Life Centre”s, in Artsakh. One of those centres will be in the village of Drakhtig, in Artsakh, which will be financed by a single anonymous donor. These centres will include a medical and maternity room, a computer centre, a library, a small auditorium and the mayor’s office.

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