San Francisco, CA- The Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California (CAAONC), owner of the Mount Davidson Cross in San Francisco, hosted a banquet on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at Saroyan Hall. 

The purpose was to benefit the Mount Davidson Cross, the tallest Armenian Genocide Memorial in the world. CAAONC is comprised of all of the churches and organizations of Northern California and maintains, protects and preserves the Cross. 

The evening included a musical presentation by the Mazamanian Family, a keynote speaker Professor Ayda Erbal, Guest of Honor His Eminence Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, a silent auction and dinner. 

The evening began with welcoming remarks from the Chairman of the Council, Chuck Paskerian. In his remarks were updates from the council regarding the website, including a promotional video - a new partnership with San Francisco Travel.   

Keynote speaker Ayda Erbal, Adjunct Professor at New York University, Department of Politics, who teaches Middle Eastern Politics, spoke about Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Genocide, the Turkish Intellectuals' "Apology" campaign, and the odd story of the life and death of a monument in Kars. 

Guest of Honor His Eminence Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, Director of Ecumenical and Foreign Relations at the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Jerusalem, was instrumental in the purchase of the cross in 1997, during which time he served as pastor for St. John's Armenian Apostolic Church of San Francisco. 

In his message, he shared his experiences on how the Bay Area Armenian community jumped at the opportunity to purchase and save the historical cross and re-dedicate it as a memorial to the million and half victims of the Armenian Genocide. Now that he is the media spokesman of Patriarch in Jerusalem, he has been working with the local Armenian community to press the Armenian Cause in Israel.