The Annual Church Gala took place on Sunday 11 February 2024,  featuring the dulcet tones of Sevak Amroyan. The crowd danced the night away as they enjoyed this last evening of Poon Paregentan.

All proceeds from the Gala Night will be going to help displaced families of Artsakh, through the Department of Social Services of the Mother Sea of Holy Etchmiadzin.

One of the highlights of the night was the auction of a beautiful rug from Artsakh that raised $10,000. Benedikt a Swiss national who was so moved by the plight of the refugees from Artsakh that he won the final auction bid.

The carpet is an Armenian dragon carpet, entirely handmade, and created by experienced craftswomen in the Artsakh region, using centuries old weaving and dying techniques unique to Armenians.

During the latest Azerbaijani offensive on Artsakh, and the mass exodus of Armenians from Artsakh, only few of the Artsakh carpets survived and brought by refugees to Armenia escaping the genocide committed by the Azerbaijani authorities.

This carpet carries significant importance, as it is one of the very few surviving carpets which was made Artsakh, and acts as beacon of hope for Armenians for one day to return back to their ancestral homeland.

We are grateful to all those that supported this very important initiative through their attendance, donations, raffle and auction participation.