Community activists from Pasadena, Sona Donoyan Arabian and Sako Defterian will once again run the Los Angeles Marathon this Sunday, except this year they will carrying the message of “We Demand. We Remember” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Asbarez reports.
With more than 25,000 runners covering the 26.2-mile course and an anticipated one million total spectators on the marathon router, Donoyan Arabian and Defterian thought to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide by having Armenian tri-color pins on their t-shirts with special messaging to mark the Centennial of the Genocide.
This definitely is not an individual effort as their marathon run has generated quite a lot of interest in the community, which has rallied behind the cause.
On Sunday, members of the Armenian Youth Federation Pasadena Nigol Touman chapter will be joined by the athletes and scouts of the Pasadena Homenetmen Chapter to support the runner by supply water and ice along the route.
The AYF and Homenetmen volunteers are also anticipating to set up an aid station on the nine-mile mark of the route, which is in Little Armenia, as well as other points along the run.
Donoyan Arabian and Defterian plan to run the Paris Marathon on April 12 and have enlisted the help of the AYF Nor Serount of France to advance Genocide awareness.
