COAF names gala honorees for Dec. 12 fundraiser in New York City

Children of Armenia Fund will hold its 23rd Annual Holiday Gala on Dec. 12 at Cipriani 25 Broadway in Manhattan to honor filmmaker Sev Ohanian and philanthropists Pamela and the late Edward Avedisian. The event is COAF’s biggest fundraiser of the year and will support expansion of its SMART education model in Armenia.

Why it matters: - COAF’s annual gala is the organization’s main fundraising event and helps finance programs for children and families in rural Armenia. - Proceeds will support COAF’s effort to expand its SMART Center model beyond Lori and into more regions of Armenia. - The organization says the long-term goal is to bring SMART Centers to every region of the country.

What happened: - The Children of Armenia Fund will host its 23rd Annual Holiday Gala, “Honoring Heritage. Building Tomorrow,” on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York City. - COAF will honor Pamela Avedisian and the late Edward Avedisian with the Empowering a Generation Award. - COAF will honor Sev Ohanian with the Lifetime Achievement Award. - The gala will bring together philanthropists, community leaders and advocates from across the Armenian diaspora.

The details: - COAF says last year’s gala raised more than $8 million. - The 2026 event will highlight plans for a second COAF SMART Center in Armavir and future centers in Armenia’s southern Syunik region. - Ohanian is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning producer and screenwriter known for work on films including Sinners, Judas and the Black Messiah and Creed III. - COAF says the Avedisians were among the organization’s earliest and most dedicated supporters. - The Avedisian award recognizes their long-term support for programs that provide education, essential services and opportunity in rural communities. - Dr. Garo H. Armen, COAF founder and chairman, said the gala reflects what the Armenian community can accomplish when it rallies around a shared vision. - The gala will feature stories from young people helped by COAF programs, musical performances by young artists from Armenia and special guest appearances. - Araksya Karapetyan, anchor of Good Day LA, and Haig Boyadjian, COAF vice president of development, will co-host the evening. - COAF established its flagship SMART Center in Lori in 2018. - The Lori center serves about 2,000 students each week from surrounding communities and offers 19 programs in technology, languages, arts, science and sports. - COAF has worked since 2003 on education, healthcare, child and family services and economic development in rural Armenia. - Since its founding, COAF says it has impacted more than 150,000 lives across seven regions of Armenia.

Between the lines: - The gala doubles as a celebration of Armenian identity and a donor event tied directly to COAF’s expansion strategy. - Honoring a filmmaker alongside longtime philanthropists signals COAF’s effort to connect culture, diaspora visibility and fundraising. - The planned Armavir center and proposed sites in Goris and Kapan show COAF is moving from one flagship model to a broader regional footprint.

What's next: - COAF is aiming to open the Armavir SMART Center in 2028. - The organization is also planning future expansion in Syunik, including proposed centers in Goris and Kapan. - Tickets, sponsorships and donations are available at the 2026 gala page. - More information is available at COAF.