2006 Annual Awards Program Winners


Best Overall Program: Population Less than 25,000
Scottbluff/Gering, Nebraska

Best Overall Program: Population 25,000 to 50,000
Coral Gables, Florida


Best Overall Program: Population 50,000 to 100,000
Kent, Washington


Best Overall Program: Population 100,000 to 500,000
Maui County, Hawaii

In 2005, Maui County hosted their first Sister Cities Festival for over 180 people. Dozens of mayors and council members from the Philippines, and representatives from Sanya County, China engaged in economic development discussions to promote economic sustainability. Due to the success of the Maui County Sister Cities Festival, leaders organized a student exchange program with sister city Kukuyama City, Japan and inviting the sister cities in the Philippines to a variety of Filipino Centennial celebrations in Maui. Maui County is also planning the establishment of the Maui County Sister Cities Foundation, a nonprofit organization, whose mission will be to strengthen the local sister cities program, helping it to expand and become a larger, more vital force for multicultural and economic growth and understanding in the community.


Best Overall Program: 300,000 to 500,000
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma hosted "Connecting Cultures", a Sister Cities Summit highlighting Tulsa's international capabilities for area citizens and for their international Sister Cities delegates. The event brought together hundreds of guests from eight cities to raise over $152,000. The Summit also welcomed the partnership between Tulsa and newest sister city, Amiens, France. Tulsa's "Connecting Cultures" Summit increased understanding and awareness of Sister Cities because of the participation of the City Council and the Mayor in all major events. In conjunction with their partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Tulsa Sister Cities provided a major educational and networking event for area business people. Tulsa also continued with the Young Artists Contest and school exchanges with Beihai, China; Amiens, France; San Luis, Potosi, Zelenograd, Russia; Tiberias, Israel; and Utsunomiya, Japan. Celle, Germany and Kaohsiung, Taiwan participated in cultural exchanges.


Best Overall Program: Population Greater than 500,000
San Antonio, Texas

The San Antonio Sister Cities achieved its impressive goal of increasing community participation and pubic-private partnerships in arts and culture, sustainable development, humanitarian assistance, and youth and education. In achieving this goal, the San Antonio program developed activities such as the Canary Island Symposium; medical, student, teacher and staff exchanges with Kumamoto, Japan and Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and the Tri-lateral Technology & Trade Conference with Calgary Canada, and Monterrey, Mexico. They also strengthened their innovative initiatives such as the international business development programs of San Antonio and Export Leaders, the joint Kumamoto-San Antonio restoration of the Kumamoto-en garden, and the international Model United Nations program. This 2005 San Antonio Sister Cities program broadened public support and involvement for the relationships with their sister cities and established the groundwork for a successful 2006.

Arts & Culture: Population Less than 100,000
Fishers, Indiana

In an effort to engage the citizens of Fishers, Indiana in the history and culture of sister city, Billericay, England, the Sister Cities Association of Fishers created the "Fishers RenFaire." This event took over one and a half years of planning and enlisted the help of over 250 volunteers from organizations such as Town of Fishers, Fishers Kiwanis and Fishers residents and paid entertainers. As a result, Fishers Sister City Association were able to engage and educate the residents of Fishers in the life styles and culture of the Renaissance period in England through a unique experience. Through various corporate sponsorships and grant proposals, Fishers was able to raise $20,000 to fund the faire. The faire is now a unique cultural tourist destination for all of central Indiana to learn about the rich history of Billericay, England. Other organizations, including the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, also promote the Fishers-Billericay relationship.


Arts & Culture: Population Greater than 100,000
Omaha, Nebraska

Marking the 40th anniversary of the Omaha, Nebraska-Shizuoka, Japan sister city relationship, the Omaha Sister Cities Association built a friendship gate at the Omaha Lauritzen Botanical Gardens. The gate is a 1/3 replica of Shizuoka Sunpu Gate originally built in1600. Craftsmen, community volunteers, business leaders, and civic officials, beginning with Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Shizuoka mayor Zenkichi Kojima, have all served as broad-based support to stimulate an environment aimed at strengthening a relationship that identifies each individual as a member of the global family. The 40th anniversary celebration banquet was attended over 400 people and was the culminating event of the friendship gate project. Dr. Ronald Roskens, Honorary Council General of Japan in Omaha was the Master of Ceremonies. Thanks to the gracious gift of the friendship gate by the people of Shizuoka, international partnerships have deepened throughout the Omaha community.


Humanitarian Assistance: Population Less than 100,000
Omaha, Nebraska

Marking the 40th anniversary of the Omaha, Nebraska-Shizuoka, Japan sister city relationship, the Omaha Sister Cities Association built a friendship gate at the Omaha Lauritzen Botanical Gardens. The gate is a 1/3 replica of Shizuoka Sunpu Gate originally built in1600. Craftsmen, community volunteers, business leaders, and civic officials, beginning with Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Shizuoka mayor Zenkichi Kojima, have all served as broad-based support to stimulate an environment aimed at strengthening a relationship that identifies each individual as a member of the global family. The 40th anniversary celebration banquet was attended over 400 people and was the culminating event of the friendship gate project. Dr. Ronald Roskens, Honorary Council General of Japan in Omaha was the Master of Ceremonies. Thanks to the gracious gift of the friendship gate by the people of Shizuoka, international partnerships have deepened throughout the Omaha community.


Humanitarian Assistance: Population Greater than 100,000
Denver, Colorado

Denver Sister Cities International helped raise over $70,000 in donations to help the victims of the 2004 Tsunami. A fundraiser was held with the help of a local radio station, local TV station and the Denver Press Club. "My Helping Hands", a nonprofit organization based in Denver sister city Chennai, India was chosen to build homes for the tsunami victims. Ten days after the tsunami hit Chennai, a live radio show with online and silent auction fundraising event was held. Eminent local government officials, Colorado governor Bill Owens and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper spoke at the event. Youth in Action, a youth leadership group, also held an auction to promote fundraising for the Tsunami and included speakers from Denver Sister Cities. A reception was held in Denver for Pappa Vidyaakar, founder of My Helping Hands (Udavum Karangal) for funds distribution. Kendallvue Elementary in Denver sent money collected all year by students to victims in Chennai.


Sustainable Development: Population Less than 100,000
Amesbury, Massachusetts

Amesbury for Africa is a friendship-based partnership between the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts and sister city village Esabalu, Kenya. The focus of this partnership is to achieve food self-sufficiency, education, AIDS awareness, women's leadership, art exchange, and youth development for Esabalu. Through this partnership, the formation of a group of 12 women who have been trained in community-based health care, midwifery, and community pharmacy has been the focus of the Bailey/Whaley Health Center at Mukhalakhala, Kenya. The opening of the Ebusakami Water Supply, Ltd. has provided clean drinking water to 125,000 people by drilling boreholes with pump houses. Over 80 AIDS orphan boys and girls were given school uniforms and the opportunity to attend school. Due to the efforts of this partnerships, Esabalu has been graced with the construction and opening of the Ebudssamba Primary School Library. The Gifted Souls Youth Theater Group's goal is to increase HIV/AIDS awareness with the training of leaders, teachers, and government officials.


Sustainable Development: Population Greater than 100,000
Louisville, Kentucky

To start off the new sister city relationship between Louisville, Kentucky and Juijiang, China, the Juijiang Committee of Sister Cities of Louisiana and the University of Louisville School of Urban and Public Affairs developed a six-month long intensive exchange program for public officials. The exchange program included formal training courses in public administration, internships with municipal agencies, field trips, roundtable discussions, and social activities. Through tours and government overviews of Louisville, the exchange program was able to create a highly successful city administrative exchange with China. The Louisville-Juijiang exchange hopes to create a dialogue for Sister Cities' exchanges at all levels, including education, arts and culture, tourism and community initiatives.


Youth & Education: Population Less than 100,000
Columbia, Maryland

Columbia, Maryland's High School Summer Exchange Program brings together students from Columbia, and sister cities Cergy-Pontoise, France and Tres Cantos, Spain. In an effort to allow students to experience different cultures, improve their foreign language skills, and prepare to be citizens of the world, students from Columbia spent two weeks living with the family of a student in the sister city, followed by another two weeks hosting the same student from France or Spain. Students on the France trip visited famous sites such as Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles and Normandy, where they visited Mont St. Michel, the Peace Memorial at Caen and walked among the graves at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. Students visiting Spain spent the day in Madrid touring a sword-making factory and the Royal Palace. A trip to Toledo saw students visiting the citadel and learning the history of Christians, Jews and Muslims in Toledo


Youth & Education: Population Greater than 100,000
New York, New York

Along with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation's Computer Resource Center, the Sister City Program of the City of New York, Inc. developed the Internet-based Educational Exchange Program (IEEP). The goal was to foster global understanding and communication among the students age 8-11 of New York City and the students from their ten sister cities through regular web-based exchanges. By the conclusion of the project, New York City students were paired with students from Budapest, Jerusalem, London, Madrid and Rome. Students created travel brochures, virtual travel itineraries, Power Point presentations, web-based reports and a web-based video. Many of the students participating in IEEP are from low-income communities so they have the opportunity for a free, safe and structured international exchange program. The New York City and international students gain an important knowledge of computer skills while learning about other cultures.


Volunteer of the Year
Elaine Yamagata

For twenty years, Elaine has worked tirelessly to spread the sister city vision of peace through people. Her leadership ensured the success of more than 400 exchanges for programs in sports, culture and education. She has helped bring Japanese culture to Fort Worth, working with its sister city of Nagaoka, Japan, and reciprocated by taking U.S. culture there. She is helping define the Japanese-American experience as an integral part of our nation's heritage. 


50th Anniversary Award

The 50th Annivesary Award recognized sister city programs demonstrating long-term sustainability of their sister city relationships and a tangible commitment to the Sister Cities International mission.

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