WINCHESTER, Mass. — A dinner party on Saturday, June 10, at the home of Raffi and Nina Festekjian, raised $220,000 for Halo Trust’s Safe Steps for the People of Karabakh Campaign, surpassing expectations by the organizers.
The goal is to demine the entirety of Artsakh by 2020.
The Festekjians are the co-chairs of the campaign.
Raffi Festekjian said the safety of the nation was paramount in order for its economy to thrive. “To create a better infrastructure, you need safety,” he said.
With safer lands more jobs are created, he noted, adding that Halo itself is the second largest employee in the republic, and that 90 percent of funds raised for Halo go back to Artsakh.
A vigorous auction of Scout Tufankjian’s photographs and wine from Karabakh, as well as donations, brought the total raised to $110,000, which will be doubled by an anonymous donor.