California
Grandmother in Midst of Walking Record Setting 215 Miles
in 19 Days
Modesto,
Calif. April 11, 2005 - Zabel Ekmejian of Moraga,
Calif. is taking part in a historical march from Fresno,
Calif. to Sacramento. She and more than a dozen other
Armenians are walking 19 days and 215 miles in solidarity
with the 1.5 million forgotten victims of the Armenian
Genocide.
“I took no measures to prepare for
the walk. I didn’t change my diet or do anything
that I don’t normally do,” said Ekmekjian.
“My strength and motivation is with the Lord and
with his help I am determined to make it to Sacramento.”
Ekmekjian and her group of young Armenians
have already walked more than 130 miles in their first
week. They walk whether it’s scorching hot or pouring
rain. They sleep in churches and eat from a lunch truck
that travels with them.
“Ninty years have passed since the
Genocide and we still have not received justice for the
millions of lost lives,” said Ekmekjian. “The
least I can do is to sacrifice myself for a few weeks
in an effort to raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide
and the plight of my family.”
Ekmekjian’s father survived the
Genocide but she lost many other family members in the
brutal killings between 1915 and 1923. As a result of
the forced exodus from his home Ekmekjian’s father,
Garabad Kassabian, was split apart from the rest of his
family at the age of five.
“I have no pain and with the will
of God will be able to walk all the way to Sacramento,”
said Ekmekjian. “What amazes me most is the will
of the young people in our group.”
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For more information about the March
For Humanity, the marchers, their shelter, and pictures,
please visit www.marchforhumanity.org.
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