A convoy of cars left Yerevan for Gyumri on Sunday as the first Margarian and Mantashyants Rally brought a California-style driving event to Armenia with a charitable goal.
The 122-kilometer route ended at Vartanants Square in Gyumri, where participants met children from a local library and presented donations raised during the drive. Each car contributed 1,000 drams for every kilometer traveled.
The Armenian Report traveled with the rally from Yerevan to Gyumri, documenting the convoy along the route and its arrival in the city.
For Hovhannes Margarian, founder of Margarian Law Firm, the event was years in the making.
“Hosting a rally was a dream for many, many years,” Margarian told The Armenian Report. “I always wanted to bring an American muscle car to Armenia and drive it on the roads, especially the canyon roads.”
Margarian said the charitable component came together through discussions with the Mantashyants Business Club. Organizers chose to support a library in Gyumri and help provide children with needed supplies.
“We will drive, we will donate to the library and help the kids with the supplies that they need.”
The rally drew participants from different backgrounds and featured a range of cars.
Argo Keshishyan, who joined the drive in a Porsche Cayenne, said the event stood out because it brought together people who might not otherwise meet.
“It’s an exciting time. It’s a fun event, a gathering of different people from different walks of life,” Keshishyan told The Armenian Report. “It’s exciting to be able to have the first-ever rally in Armenia.”
Keshishyan said he has known Margarian for years through the Armenian community in Glendale, California.
“I know Hovhannes from Glendale, so I go to his events. We hang out,” he said. “He’s a good man. I’ve known him for quite some time. We also do business together.”
Sona Yeghiazaryan, a member of the Mantashyants Business Club, said she hopes the rally becomes a recurring event.
“I think this tradition is a new one in Armenia, but I think it will become a tradition, and we will definitely continue to attend these events,” Yeghiazaryan told The Armenian Report.
She also showed the role of women in Armenia’s driving culture, saying women are a visible presence on the country’s roads.
The rally’s final stop in Gyumri gave children a chance to meet the drivers and see the cars up close. Organizers also invited them inside the vehicles, turning the event into more than a fundraising handoff.
For the organizers, the idea was to pair the excitement of the rally with a direct benefit for children — using cars, community and charity to create an experience they hope to repeat in the years ahead.
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