NEW YORK–An energetic crowd of 375 gathered at the Waldorf-Astoria here on Saturday, Sept. 22, as the Armenian National Committee (ANCA) held its first annual Eastern Region Banquet.

The affair featured the presentation of ANCA’s “Freedom Award” to former US Ambassador John Evans for his commitment to truth and justice, especially pertaining to the Armenian Genocide. Mr. Evans also delivered the keynote address, commenting on Armenian political affairs and in particular his own experiences surrounding his public comments in 2006 acknowledging the Genocide. Soon after making those comments, Mr. Evans was forced to resign from his positions — both as US Ambassador to Armenia and from the US diplomatic corps.

During the evening, the ANCA also honored one of its own, Mr. Vahe Amirian of New Jersey, for longstanding activism and devotion to the Armenian Cause. Amirian was cited especially for his volunteer activities during the ANCA’s formative years in the 1950s and ’60s.

The evening also featured an informative video presentation, depicting 2007 ANCA activities throughout the Eastern US. Prior to the program, a Silent Auction netted nearly $20,000 for ANCA activities, and overall the ANCA Endowment Fund received more than $125,000 in donations and pledges from various supporters.

Further details will appear in forthcoming releases.

Photo Captions:
Photo #1 ANCA ER banquet attendees

Photo #2: ANCA ER Banquet Chairman Zohrab Tazian congratulating Vahe Amirian, recipient of the ‘Vahan Cardashian’ Award

Photo # 3 Former US Ambassador John Marshall Evans with ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director Karine Birazian, and ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian