January 2025: The FHSC General Meeting was held at Mountain View Kitchen, where new board members were voted and confirmed for 2025. We welcomed our new Secretary Lillian Acker and our new Treasurer Ruby Moreno. A new board position of “Outreach Director” was created and filled by Tania Brown. We look forward to these new team members’ contributions. Check out the 2025 FH Sister Cities Team here!
February 2025: Attendees to the Statewide Sister Cities Conference held in Sedona reported on the event. A few members of FHSC will attend the next Tempe Sister Cities meeting to watch their process for selecting a new partner city. This will provide valuable input into our own selection process going forward. Discussions got kicked off for how we will celebrate and promote our 25th anniversary this year. Board member James Wilson provided a Sister Cities presentation to Fountain View Village to increase community awareness. We would like to thank Nic Grieve and Michele Williamson for helping to organize that mutually beneficial event!
March 2025: A quick overview of the history of the Sister Cities movement worldwide and the development of the FH Sister Cities chapter here in town was presented for the benefit of new members. Some who had been around the program for years were surprised by the deep and rich history of our local and national program. It was an eye-opener and rejuvenated our collective commitment to our partner city relationships especially during these more challenging geopolitical times. Find out more about this history by clicking here!
January 2025: FH Sister Cities continued its fundraising campaign to support Ataco, El Salvador. Our efforts for 2025 will help feed elderly residents in Ataco with critically needed, nutritious food packages. Their community continues to be impacted by the floods of 2023 and 2024. Rebuilding has been slow and our efforts to help feed the hungry will make a world of difference.
February 2025: Ataco Chair Byron Roman reported that a planned trip to the Ataco area is still in the works, partly to meet with the new mayor of the region and to find out how the humanitarian relief efforts are progressing. This visit will help determine if there are any changes necessary in our fundraising campaign here in Fountain Hills.
January 2025: FHSC attended the FH Volunteer Expo at the FH Community Center with a display booth. We fielded many questions from the interested crowd, who wanted to know more about what we do.
February 2025: FHSC members and the public at large were invited to participate in three separate cultural events in February: the German Karneval Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, the German Karneval Festival in Peoria, AZ, and the 20th annual Polish Festival held in Phoenix, AZ. All three were delightful reminders of the heritage we share with both Germany and Poland through our European partner cities. A new effort was spearheaded by Ataco Chair Byron Roman to work with a local coffee bean roaster to import coffee from the farming region around Ataco for consumption here in Fountain Hills.
March 2025: A discussion of the 2024 Oktoberfest results led to the possibility of Sister Cities being the host for 2025. Partners like Kiwanis, the Lion’s Club, and the Rotary Club will be considered for the future event. The goal of Sister Cities returning to be the main host is to steer the event more toward its cultural origins rather than a fundraising endeavor. More on this in the coming months!
January 2025: The FH Sister Cities Board sent out notices regarding the Arizona School Tax Deduction program in support of our FH High School students’ planned trip to visit Sister City Zamość at the end of the school year.
February 2025: Marcia Hoenle from the Golden Eagle Foundation here in Fountain Hills spoke to our board regarding the scholarship fund that we participate in each year. The scholarships from FH Sister Cities through the Golden Eagle Foundation are intended for local high school seniors who have aspirations to get involved in international relations. Student Exchange Chair Luke Salzman has organized the Polish student exchange trip for our FHHS students. So far, 8 girls, 4 boys, and 4 adult chaperones are slated to travel this coming summer.
March 2025: Guest speaker Robin Bratcher with the FH Parent-Teacher Organization gave us an update on programs they are involved in for the 2025 school year. Past collaborations between Sister Cities and the FH PTO have been very successful and we plan to continue that relationship and its benefit to our local students.
Jean Linzer, Jackie Miles, Carol Carroll, Gerald and Mary Comeau, Grady Miller, Estelle Mackey, James Wilson, Christine Colley, Chandra Merica, Katarzyna Suchanek, Suzanne Nann, Lillian Acker, Bev Tall
Bob & Susan Titus
Bogumil Horchem & Elizabeth Matej-Horchem, Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce
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Fountain Hills Sister Cities organized a unique event sampling wines from regions around Germany and sister city Dierdorf. It was hosted by local German Restaurant Treffpunkt in Scottsdale.
A VIP visitor from Sister City Ataco El Salvador dropped by Fountain Hills on her way to visit family in LA. While here she met up with key members of the Fountain Hills Sister Cities team associated with managing and promoting the Sister City Ataco partnership.
Oktoberfest is back again in Fountain Hills for 2026, and host FH Sister Cities is looking for volunteers and sponsors. You too can help make this year’s celebration of German culture and heritage a “Wunderbar” success!
