Members of the Glendale Educational Foundation pulled out all the stops for “Disco Diamonds” — its 11th annual gala dinner and dance at the Castaway restaurant.
On March 2, close to 300 members and their guests packed the ballroom. The encouraged attire for the night was right out of the 1970s. John Travolta look-alikes from “Saturday Night Fever” pranced on the dance floor.
Glendale Unified School Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr., normally hair-challenged, fit right in with an Afro wig. His wife, Yvette, wore big, white-framed sunglasses.
A portion of those funds will provide musical instruments for special needs students and robotics classes and computers for district elementary and high schools. Another $16,000 was awarded in teachers’ grants.
Hamilton then introduced Afro-topped Supt. Roberson. He humorously announced, “I haven’t had hair on my head since the ’80s.” He also thanked the Glendale Educational Foundation for “being our partner.”
Next up on the program was Nayiri Nahabedian, president of the Glendale Unified school board. “No one knows how to throw a party like the Glendale Educational Foundation,” Nahabedian said.
She introduced the other school board members present — Greg Krikorian, vice president, Jennifer Freemon, clerk, as well as members Armina Gharpetian and Shant Sahakian.
More dignitaries attending included Gharpetian’s husband, Glendale Mayor Vartan Gharpetian. City Council members present were Vrej Agajanian, Paula Devine and Ara Najarian.
Besides Viar, Glendale Community College board of trustee members attending were Anthony Tartaglia and Yvette Vartanian Davis. Also present was interim Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis.
Closing the program was the introduction of the Diamond Award honorees. They were all alums of Glendale schools.
Awarded distinguished achievement in the arts was film producer Ralph Winter; achievement in science and technology was longtime Glendale educator Doug Dall; achievement in health and fitness was the late Phyllis Campbell, co-founder of the Campbell Center; awarded the Paragon Diamond Award for demonstrating innovation excellence were Ara Mahdessian and Vahe Kuzoyan, founders of Service Titan.
Lastly, the Hope Diamond Award was given to Armen R. Panossian, managing director of Oaktree Capital Management.
Congratulations must be given to Elsa Chagolla, executive director of the Glendale Educational Foundation, and Vrejh Hovsepian, event chairperson, for their hard work behind the scenes.
