For more information on the Bike-a-Thon IV,Click Here

by Andranik Michaelian

Yerevan, Armenia — Comic and pantomime artist Sergey Danielyan, known in Armenia and Russia for his roles in theater, movie, and stage productions, will participate in a Bike-a-Thon covering over 700 kilometers in Armenia and Karabagh. Danielyan will join bicyclists from the United States, Europe, and South America in a ride designed to raise funds to support projects for farmers and their families in rural regions of Armenia.

The Bike-a-Thon is an annual event sponsored by the Fresno, California-based Armenian Technology Group (ATG). The ambitious ride helps promote agrotourism while highlighting the country’s ancient monasteries and natural wonders. “This is a ride I always wanted to make,” Danielyan said. “When I heard about ATG’s programs in Armenia’s countryside, I decided this was for me.”

During their journey, the bicyclists will visit the sites of various ATG-sponsored projects, including the anti-hail systems in Ashtarak, the milk-cooling tanks, and the well-known Wheat Seed Project. “Learning about these projects has fascinated me,” Danielyan said. “I especially want to go to border regions and meet with our farmers who are benefiting from ATG’s programs. And I want to see the milk-cooling tanks, and meet the happy-faced children who can now drink a large glass of fresh milk every morning.”

Acting, nature draw Danielyan to Bike-a-Thon

In Armenia, Danielyan, whose nickname is Yozh (porcupine), is known mainly for comic roles in a recent children’s television program on “Hayrenik” and in the popular movie Yerevan Djan by singer-filmmaker Michael Poghosyan. In Yerevan Djan, Danielyan carries a large, plastic hammer, hitting people he doesn’t like as he walks down the street. “I think there is a child in all of us,” he said. “We all come from childhood. Maybe that’s why I enjoy comic roles like this. They remind me of my childhood. Perhaps this is why I enjoy riding a bicycle so much.

“An actor has to grow, to explore. This Bike-a-Thon will help me as an actor. It is a great chance for me to meet and visit with my countrymen. It will help my creative life. I will be able to see my people in their daily life, and how they express themselves, and their hospitality. In Armenia, an actor’s life isn’t easy. I have to work a lot. But this is an opportunity I don’t want to miss. I am proud I will be able to help show my country’s monuments, nature, and hard-working people.”

This year, the Bike-a-Thon has the specific purpose of raising funds to help modernize and expand the ATG-sponsored grape nursery in Khramort, a village in Karabagh that was completely destroyed by the war. “ATG’s project in Khramort is a true success story, one I want to see with my own eyes,” Danielyan said. “By giving these people employment, they were able to save a village. I want all Armenians to know about this, to see what we can do when we work together.

“I thank everyone coming to take part in the Bike-a-Thon, to help my countrymen have a better life, to help them stand on their own feet. I hope we all become good friends during the bike ride. I want to meet Vatche Soghomonian, who initiated the first Bike-a-Thon, held especially for the village of Khramort. I think he has the spirit of an artist, and that we will get along well. Together, we can all help our brothers and sisters in the rural and border regions of Armenia have a meaningful, prosperous life.”