Burbank City Council Members and City Manager, Mark Scott, joined the Burbank Armenian community to recognize two new additions to the Burbank Youth Center. Hosted on Thursday, July 16th, the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated the Melkonian Basketball Court and a multi-purpose room called, Liberty Hall.
Mayor Bob Frutos presented a certificate from the City of Burbank to ANCA – Burbank Co-Chair, Zareh Khachatourian, praising the development as “a major accomplishment.”
Later, Vartan Derderian, the project’s Construction Committee Chair, singled-out the City of Burbank’s contributions for making the Youth Center a reality. In 2013, more than $300,000 in federal funds, distributed through the City of Burbank’s Community Development Department, was made possible by a unanimous vote by the City Council.
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the VIPs in attendance were given a tour of the facility. While on the basketball court, Mayor Frutos surprised everyone in the room, including himself, by sinking three of five shots from the free-throw line.
The Burbank Youth Center is open year-round and offers educational and recreational programs, free of charge, to adults over the age of 55, as well as to economically-challenged individuals and families.
