By Michael LEVITSKY

In the aftermath of the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenians and other supporters across Southern California have been working on aiding and supporting those affected by the conflict, despite being halfway across the globe.

In a recent effort, the Cycling Development Association (CDA), a local non-profit cycling club, partnered with Armenia Fund to host a small fundraising event early Sunday morning, Dec. 13 to aid displaced families formerly of the Artsakh region at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Around 20 riders took part in the 38-mile ride. Some were from the CDA and others were friends of Velo Pasadena, a local bicycle shop. Most of the cyclists were seen proudly sporting the Armenian flag striped across their jumpsuits or on their masks.

The riders took off from their starting point – a warehouse on the outer-most edge of downtown Los Angeles – at around 9 a.m. The sound of five rumbling Harley-Davidsons could be heard following closely behind the riders, a motorized escort arranged by a colonel from the International Police Association.

From the starting point, the riders traveled north to downtown Glendale, then rode through Griffith Park and up La Tuna Canyon before making a pit stop at Bob Smith Toyota on Foothill Boulevard. Volunteers were present to hand out food and water to the riders so they could recharge before circling back and finishing at the starting location.

The event was originally organized several months ago with proceeds initially intended to raise money to help provide clean water for several villages in the Tavush region of Armenia. But after the war began on Sept. 27, plans changed quickly.

“The benefits will go where they are most needed,” said event organizer and CDA co-founder Greg Bakalyan. “The war caused many deaths and displacement of families, so we ended up changing the beneficiaries.”

Bakalyan and the CDA have collaborated with Armenia Fund for several events over the last decade, often raising funds for cycling development for youth and to send bicycles to Armenia.

Organized efforts, such as the recent ride, are not uncommon; there have reportedly been many supportive outreach efforts held.

“Practically every weekend [since the war began], without any exaggeration, there are probably anywhere from seven to 10 organized events,” said Greg Boyrazian, executive director at Armenia Fund. “The community has been quite supportive in unprecedented numbers.”

Boyrazian added that, over the last three months, Armenia Fund has sent two Boeing 777 airplanes full of medical supplies to Armenia, and an additional 20 to 25 pallets of medical supplies, clothes and shoes, and dried food every week since the conflict began. A staggering total of $102 million has been raised since late September.

Bakalyan did acknowledge the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and heightened restrictions in Los Angeles County did contribute to the size of the biking event, and also emphasized the need to continue helping those suffering in a worse situation.

“It is challenging. But we didn’t want to quit,” Bakalyan said. “[They] need us there, they need us a lot.”