By writer to armenianweekly.com
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Child Garen Yepremian remains to be in determined need of a kidney. That’s what compelled about 150 members of the area people to return collectively on Saturday night at Sts. Vartanantz Church for a prayerful service and fundraiser dinner to assist the Yepremian household’s mounting healthcare bills and lift consciousness for a lifesaving donor.
The almost two-year previous Garen was the visitor of honor for the night, touching the hearts of all in attendance. His dad and mom Sebouh and Annie together with huge brother Ari and grandmother Ardemis had been stuffed with gratitude for the outpouring of affection and concern from the group. Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian and Archdeacon Hagop Khatchadourian of Sts. Vartanantz Church welcomed Archpriest Fr. Gomidas Baghsarian and Rev. Hagop Manjelikian (retired of the Armenian Evangelical Church) to take part in a therapeutic prayer service within the church sanctuary previous to the beginning of the meal. A number of dozen folks witnessed the intimate ceremony and lifted up their prayers to bless and heal younger Garen. It was an emotional sight when the three clergy laid their arms on little Garen’s head in a robust prayer for his well being. The service concluded with the congregation reciting the Hayr Mer in unison.
The fundraiser steak dinner, the primary such in-person group gathering for the reason that pandemic started, was organized and ready to perfection by the church’s Males’s Membership. It was postponed from the earlier week attributable to inclement climate, however as Males’s Membership treasurer Steve Elmasian mentioned, “Everybody who couldn’t attend this week as a result of change of date with out fail instructed us to maintain the cash as donations.” Greater than two dozen folks volunteered their providers for the night beneath uncommon blue skies and sunshine. Between the steak dinner, donations and a raffle, the occasion raised about 12-thousand {dollars} for little Garen and his household. Elmasian famous that previous to the night’s occasion, two different profitable occasions had been held for the Yepremian household by Sonia’s Close to East Market and Deli, owned and operated by brother and sister Ara and Sevan Janigian, and the Armenian Evangelical Church.
“The following time you occur to listen to Carly Simon sing ‘These are the great previous days,’ keep in mind occasions like this the place a group rallies round a household in want of a lot greater than the funds that had been raised,” remarked Elmasian as he thanked everybody for his or her generosity. Garen’s father Sebouh emotionally outlined his son’s journey from start to now, praising his spouse Annie for her endless and loving care of their son. “Quickly she’s going to be a licensed nurse with all she’s discovered to do for Garen,” mentioned Sebouh. “He’s our blessing,” he continued, “and we simply pray for a kidney so he can stay a traditional life.”
Pauline Getzoyan is editor of the Armenian Weekly and an lively member of the Rhode Island Armenian group. A longtime member of the Windfall ARF and ARS, she at present serves as chairperson of the native ARS Ani chapter. She is also a former member of the ARS Central Government Board. An extended-time advocate for genocide schooling by means of her work with the ANC of RI, Pauline is co-chair of the RI department of The Genocide Schooling Challenge. As well as, she has been an adjunct teacher of developmental studying and writing within the English division on the Neighborhood School of Rhode Island since 2005.
— to armenianweekly.com
