On April 15, Barev TV of Los Angeles organized the “Armenian Soldier” Telethon to help the families of deceased Armenian soldiers in Artsakh and raised $350,000 dollars. The telethon was initiated by reciter Nune Avetisyan and US-based freedom fighter Hrant Tumasyan. In an interview with Arajin Lratvakan (First News), Nune Avetisyan stated that nobody could imagine such a turnout.

“Our heroes united us all. This was unprecedented in the history of the Armenian Diaspora when the phones ring for nine hours. It turned out that 16 phones were not enough. People are still calling and coming. People were standing in line in front of the studio until midnight to make their donations. There were mothers, children, grandfathers, grandchildren, doctors, drivers, teachers, businessmen and craftsmen who were coming to stand with the mothers and families of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the homeland or were wounded. This telethon will be remembered for a long time as a unique example of spontaneous unity,” she added.

Nune Avetisyan stated that the final amount would be announced soon and that she would personally hand the money to the families of the victims. “There are many pensioners from whom we need to collect the money at their homes. There is quite a lot of work to do. I will personally go to the homeland and hand the money to the families of the soldiers.”

When told that people have always been talking about the fact that Armenia and the Diaspora are detached from each other, that the Diaspora only cares about recognition of the Armenian Genocide and doesn’t care about the problems in Armenia, Nune Avetisyan said the following: “I don’t know what people have talked about our national unity until now, but the fact that the homeland is in the hearts of many Armenians here is irrefutable. It’s always the same. No matter where they may be, Armenians always stand with the homeland at any moment that is necessary. How can the issue of the Armenian Genocide be the only thing that unites us when Armenians here are concerned about the heavy social conditions of their friends and relatives in Armenia all year long? Of course, at moments when the borders of the homeland and the lives of soldiers are at risk, we are more united, and that’s natural. I am happy to have been born an Armenian. I thank these peace-loving and divine nation that is called the ARMENIAN nation.”