Glendale, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) recently announced the establishment of an endowment fund in the name of the late Haroutioun Kasparian of Los Angeles. The endowment fund will be used to educate Armenian American youth on issues related to the Armenian Cause. The endowment fund will amount to $50,000 when it is fully funded.

Haroutioun Kasparian, a lifelong supporter of the ANCA-WR, passed away on June 23, 2006. Among his memoirs, Kasparian wrote the following of his passion for the Armenian Church and the Armenian Cause: “I would like to convey, after my passing, that you [the Armenian people] must love the Armenian Church because it is the Armenian Nation. And the nation has an obligation to work for Hai-Tahd [the Armenian Cause] which is both our national pride and obligation.” “Haroutioun Kasparian was an Armenian American patriot,” remarked ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “He and his family have in the past and will remain model ANC activists, always ready to lend a hand to advance the Armenian Cause and participate in the miracle of American democracy. I will forever miss Haroutioun and know that his endowment fund will make sure that a new generation of Armenian Americans picks up the torch he held high for decades,” Hamparian added. Haroutioun Kasparian was born on April 23, 1930 in Athens, Greece. Born of parents who had survived the Armenian Genocide, Kasparian lost his father at a young age and began working to support his family at the ripe age of eleven. In 1946 his family moved to Soviet Armenia, where he lived for 22 years. During his time in Armenia he continued his education and fell in love with and married Elizabeth Papazian. The couple had two children, a daughter Arsho and a son, Vram. Due to the hardships of living in Soviet Armenia, Kasparian fled the country in 1968 after a decade of attempting to emigrate to the United States. Arriving in America, Kasparian quickly found employment and began a remarkably successful career in business. Kasparian was an active member of the Armenian Church, a fervent supporter of Homenetmen and a staunch patron of the Alex Pilibos School in Hollywood. He was a deacon and among the first contributors to St. Garabed Armenian Church in Hollywood. His wife Elizabeth has been a strong supporter of the Armenian Relief Society “Mayr” Chapter. His son Vram was among the first Homenetmen scouts in the Los Angeles area and his daughter Arsho has been a consistent supporter of Alex Pilibos. In all ways, Haroutioun Kasparian was proud of his Armenian heritage and was especially proud of young Armenian Americans who supported the work of the ANCA and other worthwhile Armenian causes. The ANCA-WR Haroutioun Kasparian Endowment will forever honor this special Armenian American. The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.

#####