YEREVAN — Since Armenia’s independence, it has become a tradition for the president of the republic to hand out honors on the anniversary of independence to individuals in Armenia and the diaspora who are outstanding in their fields.
This year among the honorees singled out by President Serge Sargisian on September 21, at a ceremony in the presidential residence, was Papken Megerian, co-chair of the Armenian Democratic Liberal (ADL) party District Committee of Eastern US and Canada and member of the Central Board of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the US and Canada.
Megerian and his wife are cofounders of the Papken and Anahid Megerian Family Foundation, which supports causes in the US, Armenia, Artsakh, Echmiadzin, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Diocesan Center in Javakhk, Georgia and Our Lady of Armenia Boghossian Educational Center in Gumri. He is also a contributor to the international children’s anophthalmia/ microphtalmia network, the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, an ADL publication.
Among other diasporan activists who received medals this year were Armenia Tree Project President Carolyn Mugar, physician Ernest Barsamian (Mkhitar Heratsi Medal), Armenia Marriott hotel co owner Nishan Atinizian (Anania Shiragatsi Medal) and Jirayr Tanielian (Movses Khorenatsi Medal), the editor of Kamar literary monthly in Lebanon.
