Sunday, May 29, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

ABMDR Annual Gala And Fundraiser Celebrates Milestones, Honors Supporters And Volunteers

by Asbarez Staff
July 24, 2009
in Community, News
1
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Los Angeles Mayor with Abmdr Board members and guest
Los Angeles Mayor with Abmdr Board members and guest

GLENDALE—At its annual gala, “Match for Life 2009,” the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry marked several milestones, including the opening of its Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan in April, and recognized several supporters and volunteers for their outstanding service to the organization.

Among the evening’s honorees were VivaCell general manager Ralph Yirikian, who was named ABMDR Man of the Year; and Volunteers of the Year Steve Artinian, VP of advertising at Closet World and chairperson of Homenetmen Western U.S.; Susanna Avagyan, a registered nurse at Glendale Memorial Hospital; and Taleen Khatchadourian, executive director and franchisee of Sylvan Learning Center of Studio City/Sherman Oaks. In addition, The Comedy Store, of Los Angeles, was honored as the ABMDR’s Business of the Year.

“Match for Life 2009” also raised funds for the ABMDR’s ongoing activities and a slew of planned projects. While the Stem Cell Harvesting Center continues to grow and the ABMDR organizes bone marrow donor recruitment drives throughout the United States and Armenia, the next overarching objective is to establish a stem cell transplantation center in Armenia.

ABMDR volunteers
ABMDR volunteers

“Given the fact that 60 percent of our stem cell donors are from Armenia, the opening of the Stem Cell Harvesting Center in the country was of vital importance,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the ABMDR Board of Directors. “Now that this has been achieved, thanks to both grassroots and major-benefactor support, much of our focus is on launching a dedicated transplantation center, which would give thousands of patients access to affordable, life-saving stem cell transplants.”

More than 500 supporters, including several guests of honor, attended the ABMDR banquet. The roster of dignitaries comprised Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Burbank vice-mayor Anja Reinke; Glendale mayor Frank Quintero and City Council members Ara Najarian and Laura Friedman; Armenian deputy consul general Mesrob Shaboyan; Rev. Dajad Yardemian of the Western Diocese; Morre Dean, president and CEO of Glendale Adventist Hospital; and Bob Quarfoot, senior vice-president of business development at Glendale Memorial Hospital.

As the cocktail hour began at 6:00 p.m., a great many attendees kicked off the fundraising effort by purchasing glasses of champagne with unlimited refills and a chance of winning a diamond necklace, which was donated by Design by Naz. Guests also bid on a variety of silent-auction items.

 

ABMDR Board with survivors
ABMDR Board members with leukemia survivors Alique Topalian (third from left) and Richard Boyajian (fourth from left). ABMDR volunteers.

After the doors to the banquet room were opened at 7:00 p.m., the evening’s masters of ceremonies, Lara Yeretsian of the ABMDR Board of Directors and Sam Tripoli of the Board of Advisors, welcomed the attendees and invited Mayor Villaraigosa to the podium. In his touching address, the mayor reflected on his close relationship with the Armenian community and expressed high praise for the ABMDR’s life-saving work and mission.

Villaraigosa’s comments were followed by Banquet Committee chair Naz Atikian’s welcoming remarks, after which Father Yardemian performed the invocation. As guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and fine wines, images of the ABMDR’s activities in the past year were projected on two giant screens, accompanied by music.

Next the attendees heard testimonials about the work of the ABMDR by two leukemia survivors: Alique Topalian, whose diagnosis ten years ago served as the impetus for the establishment of the ABMDR; and Richard Boyajian, a nurse practitioner at Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who has survived the illness thanks to a stem cell transplant. Living proofs of the procedure’s effectiveness, both Topalian and Boyajian encouraged the guests to become bone marrow donors and support the ABMDR cause. “Being at the ABMDR gala, in a room filled with Armenians whose sole purpose for being there was to save the lives of other Armenians in need was an emotionally moving experience for me, as a 12.5-year survivor of leukemia,” Boyajian later said. “Too often in our daily lives we forget what is truly important but at that moment in time we remembered.”

Building Tree of Hope
The Tree of Hope

The evening’s program continued with the screening of a video which highlighted the ABMDR’s latest activities, including stem cell recruitment drives and the opening of the Stem Cell Harvesting Center. As Banquet Committee member Nectar Kalajian took the stage, she described her family’s journey in search of a matching bone marrow donor for her cousin Aram. She was joined by Carlo, a young father from Pasadena, California, struck with leukemia, who is soon to undergo his own life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Both Kalajian and Carlo thanked the ABMDR for its vital support, emphasized the ongoing need for stem cell donors, and urged the attendees to “be an angel, save a life.” At this, the hall was suddenly filled with little girls dressed as angels, who floated through the tables and collected donation pledges. Subsequently the pledges were announced and for each contribution a symbolic angel was placed on the “Angel Tree” (or “Tree of Hope”) at the podium.

Following a brief set of performances by the Element band, Mark Geragos, chair of the ABMDR Board of Directors, recounted the beginnings and evolution of the registry. As he outlined nine years of groundbreaking achievements, the chairman underscored the registry’s importance to Armenians throughout the world.

Also delivering remarks were Dr. Frieda Jordan and Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director of the ABMDR in Armenia. Before she spoke of the registry’s future plans, Dr. Jordan thanked all supporters for making the dream of having a Stem Cell Harvesting Center a reality in record time. On his part, Dr. Avagyan stated that the Armenian-American community not only started and sustained the ABMDR for many years, but inspired the public in Armenia to join forces for the creation of the Stem Cell Harvesting Center, as a one-of-a-kind institution that serves the global Armenian community. “In Armenia today, the high level of support for the ABMDR’s work is tremendously heartwarming,” Dr. Avagyan said in a later statement. “As the Armenian public and government alike have embraced the registry’s life-saving mission, we have great hopes that we’ll be able to open a stem cell transplant center under the auspices of the Health Ministry.”

“Be an angel, save a life.” The group of little “angels” who collected pledges during the gala.
“Be an angel, save a life.” The group of little “angels” who collected pledges during the gala.

After a brief video massage from Dr. Bella Kocharyan, honorary chair of the ABMDR, awards were presented to the evening’s honorees. ABMDR Man of the Year Ralph Yirikian, who was unable to attend the event, relayed his appreciation through a video message which encouraged all Armenian individuals and corporations to support the registry’s work. Commenting on the far-reaching benefits of the Stem Cell Harvesting Center, Yirikian said, “We will realize the importance of this project in a couple of years… We can save the lives of cancer patients… And by being a center of excellence which is unique to the region, with its own bone marrow donor registry, this facility will significantly improve Armenia’s overall health profile.”

“The ABMDR has had a wonderfully productive year,” Taleen Khatchadourian said. “It is the combined effort of so many that has made this endeavor such a success. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity and devote some time to this worthy cause. The satisfaction of contributing, if only just a little, is worth more than anyone can imagine.” Steve Artinian also praised the work of the registry and stated, “Being recognized by the Armenian Bone Marrow Registry as a Volunteer of the Year is a true honor.”

Susana Avagyan, the third Volunteer of the Year, said, “Assisting the ABMDR has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. And a big part of that fulfillment has to do with the knowledge that our volunteer work – whether through stem cell donor recruitments or follow-up health tests – helps save lives, especially those of young people.”

The gala program concluded with the drawing of the winning raffle and champagne tickets. But guests continued to enjoy themselves well into the night, as they socialized and danced to the music of the DJ duo Aram and Allen.

Major sponsors of “Match for Life 2009,” which raised $100,000 for various ABMDR projects, included the Foundation Laboratory; Mr. and Mrs. Linda and Stepan Vartanian; Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Cyrus and Rita Razmara; Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Arpenik Avagyan and Dr. Sokurenko Evgeni; and the Greek Armenian Society.

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999, the ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 15,000 donors across three continents, identified 1,305 patients, found 1,033 potential matches, and facilitated nine bone marrow transplants.

For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.

Photo Credit:
All photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

 

Asbarez Staff

Asbarez Staff

Next Post

Facing Poverty In Armenia

Comments 1

  1. George says:
    13 years ago

    Very nice pics… and cause is great…We are all proud to be Armenian..

    Reply

Leave a Reply to George Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Yerevan Condemns Azerbaijan’s Dismantling of Ghazanchetsots Cathedral

International Conference on ‘Culture in Conflict: South Caucasus Today’ Held in Vienna

2 days ago
ANCA-WR Meets with Jewish Federation of Los Angeles 

ANCA-WR Meets with Jewish Federation of Los Angeles 

2 days ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • www.asbarez.com
    • May 29, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to