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On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Pasadena will unveil an inspirational memorial to the first Genocide of the 20th Century, Asbarez reports.

The Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial appropriately memorializes the loss of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. The public is invited to join the solemn unveiling that will include music, poetry and a cultural experience from the proud and thriving Armenian American Community in Pasadena. The event will culminate with the official unveiling of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial in Pasadena’s Memorial Park.

The memorial is the culmination of three years of work of the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial Committee, a non-profit set up to raise private funds to build and maintain the Memorial. The Memorial completes the vision of Catherine Menard, a Pasadena Art Center College of Design graduate who won the highly competitive responsibility of designing the Pasadena Memorial. The Memorial features a 16 foot tripod that forever captures the image of the structures used by the Turks to hang artists and leaders 100 years ago. It also features the strength and hope personified by the Armenian people by a tear drop falling into the eternity symbol prized by Armenians throughout the world.

The Memorial was unanimously approved by the Pasadena City Council and is currently finishing construction under the supervision of Sinanian Construction of Tarzana.

“Our ancestors can never be replaced. Beginning on April 18th their descendants will have a powerful and solemn place to properly remember them and to celebrate the survival and successes of Armenian American’s in Pasadena and throughout California. I am proud and humbled to be part of the project,” commented Robert Kalunian, Board Co-Chair.

Kalunian and former Pasadena Police Chief Melekian are the Board’s Co-Chairs. In addition, the Pasadena Genocide Memorial Committee is composed of retired Federal Court Judge Dikran Tevrizian, Levon Filian, Gary Jerjerian, Avo Kechichian, Sandra Siraganian, Shoghig Yepremian, Sgt. Greg Afsharian, David George Gevorkyan, and retired State Assemblymember Anthony Portantino. Filian and Jerjerian are Co-chairing the April 18 event.