Armenian Relief Society Of Canada Telethon To Raise Funds For Armenians Living In Lebanon

By: Ani Hotoyan-Joly

Lebanon is in crisis and the living conditions in Lebanon are extremely difficult. Imagine earning the
equivalent of 50USD per month and having to use that entire amount to pay for your electricity bill!
Imagine having electricity for only 7-8 hours a day! For those many families without financial help from
friends and relatives living in Europe or the Americas, providing for the daily essentials has become a
difficult if not overwhelming task.

Dear Friends, Lebanese Armenians living in these difficult conditions need our help.
ARS Canada in collaboration with the ARF and other Armenian Community sister organizations is
organizing a telethon to raise funds to support Armenian families in Lebanon. The organizing committee
has been working for the last six weeks putting together an exciting program, which we are confident
you will enjoy and support.

The telethon will showcase a number of internationally recognized Armenian artists and local Canadian
voices including Harout Pamboukjian, Isabelle Bayrakdarian, Elie Berberian, Pierre Chamassian, Miriam
Baghdassarian, Guy Manoukian and Serouj Kradjian. We are very excited that these artists have
enthusiastically and generously donated their time by sending their compelling appeals and a sample of
their work to support ARS Canada and this important telethon.

We have a full program which will air on Nor Hai Horizon in Ontario on November 20 th at 9 a.m. and the
same program will air on Hay Horizon in Quebec on November 23 rd at 9 a.m. Since we have more
content than we can fit in the one hour television program, we will be posting an extended version of
the telethon on the ARS Canada Facebook page @ars.canada and to @Aid4Lebanon Facebook page on
November 20 th at 9 a.m. We hope our Facebook page supporters watch the extended program and
share it with their friends and family members to raise awareness of the dire conditions in Lebanon and
to increase support for this telethon.

We are very grateful to Armenians and non-Armenians who have supported ARS Canada’s various
fundraising events in the past including the incredible support we received last year in raising funds for
Artsakh. Armenian Relief Society has always been there for our people in times of need. Since its
inception in 1910, ARS has been a beacon in our communities around the world. ARS has always been
ready to help the needy, to support our youth by providing scholarships and to raise funds to support
our wounded soldiers and sponsor the children of fallen heroes.

Today, we come to you, asking for your support. Our goal is to raise $130,000 to aid 1,000 families in
need. A donation of $130 will provide support for a family. That is less than 36 cents a day!

We welcome your donations in a variety of ways. Our donors can telephone 1-833-277-4532 (1-833-
ARS-4LEB) or they can donate on line by visiting www.ars-canada.ca and pressing the red Donate button
and choosing “Aid to Lebanon Fund”. Alternatively, individuals can send their cheques payable to ARS
Canada Foundation to ARS Canada, 3401 Olivar-Asselin, Montreal, Quebec, H4J 1L5 or they can call the
ARS office at 514-333-1616.

Torontohye