My father, Mardig Herculian, was from Anjar, Lebanon, and died there unexpectedly in 2006.
He traveled to Anjar every year, where we still have a house and enjoy time with his relatives. He always returned in October in time for my birthday.
In 2006, he suddenly fell ill and since the war had started with Israel, he was turned away from the hospital.
My cousin called me on a Sunday night and told me that I needed to come now if I wanted to see my father before he died.
By God's grace, my brother, mother, and I were on a flight to Damascus less than 24 hours later and literally walked across the bombed-out border to Lebanon to see my father. My father was alive for another 12 hours before dying in our home that night.
Mardig was an educator all his life and taught in Ethiopia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and California. Mardig died in Anjar in 2006. Both Mardig and Diana have been teachers at the school in Anjar. Diana has also been a steadfast supporter of children’s education, starting with her own children.
Diana and Mardig left Saudi Arabia in 1986 to offer the American Dream to their children, which included an opportunity for higher education. Varant earned his BA from San Luis Opispo and his MBA from UC Irvine. Talar earned her BA from UC Irvine and her law degree from UC Hastings.
As a lawyer, I am trained to be skeptical and charities are no exception. I was determined to find a charity I could trust to deliver funds to the intended recipients without wasting money. I was fortunate to discover the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR) which I have been personally supporting for more than 12 years.
I run every year to keep my father's memory alive and pay it forward. This year I will be running in the Salt Lake City 10K.
All donations from my run will go towards the Diana and Mardig Herculian Center in Lebanon.
The Center currently has 19 children enrolled between the ages of 6 and 11. The children receive supervised care, meals, and help with their homework.
Please consider a donation of any amount; whether you can spare $5 or $50, it all adds up. Prefer to donate via Paypal? Visit here to make your donation via Paypal.
If you can't donate, please consider sharing my fundraiser with others.
Talar Herculian Coursey, SOAR Salt Lake City Chapter President
Established in 2005, the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief provides humanitarian relief to orphaned Armenian children and adults with disabilities. With over 130 chapters and 600 volunteers worldwide, SOAR is the world's only charitable organization devoted exclusively to helping orphaned Armenian children. SOAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please visit here to learn more about SOAR's distribution methods and quality control protocol.