Armenian Relief Society to participate Honda LA Marathon

PanARMENIAN.Net - For the first time, the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA (ARS) will be participating as an official charity of the Honda LA Marathon this year, joining 70 other charities in a campaign entitled “I Run 4 Something” to take place on March 18, Asbarez reported.

The marathon covers a 26.2 mile distance starting at the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium and ending in Santa Monica. The ARS team, “Heartline Against Domestic Violence,” will take part in the charity 2-person marathon, where each participant will cover half the distance of 13.1 miles, similar to a relay.

With its participation as an official charity of the marathon, the ARS team hopes to increase awareness of domestic violence and to support the organization’s efforts to aid victims of such abuse. “Participating as an official charity of the marathon allows us to utilize this major platform to help raise funds for those in our communities who have sought our help, as a result of the abuses they have suffered,” says Carmen Libaridian, Vice-Chairperson of the ARS Regional Executive Board.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that domestic violence can be defined as “attempting to cause or causing bodily injury to a family or household member or placing a family or household member by threat of force in fear of imminent physical harm.” A clinical or behavioral definition of domestic violence is “a pattern of assaultive and/or coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners.” In many communities, including immigrant populations, domestic violence often has a slightly broader context of abuse, such as in-laws abusing a daughter-in-law.

In recent years, the ARS has sought to serve victims of domestic violence more effectively through social services and counseling centers and other community resources, but funding gaps have hindered efforts for comprehensive assistance. By reaching out to the community and collaborating with other charities, the ARS hopes to prevent abusive behavior by launching awareness campaigns as well as help restore the lives of victims of domestic violence.