Ralph Tufenkian (left) and Hacop Baghdassarian were honored by AEF
GLENDALE–The Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) held its 65th Anniversary Gala on January 31, 2016 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Over 500 guests attended the fundraiser to celebrate AEF’s 65th Anniversary and to honor Ralph Tufenkian and Hacop Baghdassarian – the award recipients of the evening.
Guest speaker Professor Richard Hovannisian captivated the audience with a history of the AEF founding members, the importance of the AEF’s mission for the Armenian homeland and diaspora, and the need for future generations to continue this vision. He stated, “What I find most encouraging of the AEF is that they are all volunteers, but they have a hands on approach to what they are doing. There is so much skepticism that monies given in telethons and other fundraisers will ever reach the intended destination. But in the case of this organization, we are confident because the AEF sees that every dollar donated is indeed used for the purpose intended.”
AEF sponsors donated between $1,000 and $25,000 to fund AEF programs, such as, scholarships, school renovations, school supplies, computer training programs and more. Vahe Hacopian, President of the AEF Board of Directors, commented, “We are grateful to our donors who continue to entrust the AEF with the responsibility to assist Armenian students with its programs. We are also honored that our members and supporters came to this 65th Anniversary Gala to celebrate our cultural identity and of giving to the Armenian community.”
Established in 1950, AEF provides financial support to Armenian students and Armenian educational institutions. Over the past twenty years, AEF has renovated over 180 schools in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk and provided aid to thousands of students. Since 2000, AEF has awarded over $1.3 Million in scholarships to deserving students in the United States, Lebanon and Armenia. For the past 8 years, AEF has been providing full tuition scholarships to students attending public universities in Armenia and Artsakh. With the generosity of many attending the 65th Anniversary Gala, the number of scholarships will increase from 128 to 164 for the 2016-17 academic year.
For more information or to make a donation, please contact the AEF office at (818) 242-4154 or email aef@aefweb.org.
Source: Asbarez
Link: AEF Celebrates 65 Years of Service to the Community