Armenian-American leaders from across America gathered in Southern California to launch ANCA Telethon 2014 – a community-wide fundraising campaign to empower Armenian Americans, protect Armenia, and promote the Armenian Cause, Asbarez reports.

This grassroots campaign, featuring community events and broad-based social media, will lead up to the June 1st 6-hour nationwide broadcast, in support of the ANCA Endowment Fund. The telethon will be available on a variety of broadcast, cable and digital channels and showcased online at www.ancatelethon.org.

ANCA Endowment President Ken Hachikian was joined by Telethon 2014 Chairman Steve Artinian, Eastern U.S. Board Member Joshua Tevekelian and ANCA Western Region Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian, Esq. in presenting the vision for ANCA Telethon 2014 at the kick-off reception, held at the Krikor and Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center. Speakers discussed details about its broadcast reach and programming, and insights into innovative new ideas to engage an unprecedented level of community participation in this fundraising and community-building drive.

“With Ankara ramping up its denials during the approach to 2015 and Baku escalating its attacks on Artsakh and Armenia, it’s more vital than ever for Armenian Americans to stand in solidarity with the people of our homeland. We are, as I’ve said before, the second army of the Armenian nation, and, in many ways, our homeland’s first line of defense against an antagonistic Turkey and an increasingly aggressive Azerbaijan,” said ANCA Endowment President Ken Hachikian.

“We’re encouraged by the energetic turnout for today’s ANCA Telethon 2014 launch by so many Armenians, from across our community – united in a common commitment to our homeland and heritage and devoted to the strengthening of the ANCA as the voice of our community and cause,” said Telethon Committee Chairman Steve Artinian. “In the coming days and weeks, we look forward to engaging activists and supporters throughout all fifty states as we expand the grassroots power of our community in the nation’s capital and in hometowns across our great country.”

The ANCA Endowment Fund supports a broad range of educational, youth, and civic programs that give voice to the views and values of the Armenian American community, strengthening our presence in the American civic arena, and empowering pro-Armenian stakeholders with the information and resources they need to take on the powerful forces aligned against the Armenian nation.

The first three ANCA Endowment Fund telethons, held in 2006, 2009 and 2012, raised over $6.5 million for Armenian American educational, youth, and civic programs. Each program touched a common emotional chord, speaking directly to the devotion to the Armenian Cause that rests in the hearts of Armenians from across the U.S., regardless of organizational or political affiliations.

Countless organizations, volunteers, churches, community leaders, local ANCAs, performing artists, Members of Congress, and state legislators from across the nation participated in the telethons, contributing to their enormous success. Both telethons featured several documentaries that highlighted various ANCA programs and numerous results the ANCA Endowment has achieved over the years, largely through its volunteer and grassroots network.