April 2023, It is with immense gratitude that Fountain Hills Sister Cities has accepted a generous donation of
$10,000 from the Verne Johnson Family Foundation that will support the outbound student exchange program experience for our Fountain Hills High School students.
June 2023, It’s that time again! Time for annual membership renewals. FHSC invites all its current members to confirm their current membership status and renew as required. For anyone wishing to sign up as a new member, we invite you too! What better time that to get more deeply involved with our programs and the many benefits of participating in our international community. Your membership fees are fully tax deductible and are put to use supporting our most cherished and rewarding programs like humanitarian relief and student exchanges. Come Join Us! Review the membership levels below and sign up today!
June 2023, Over the last 18 months, a total of $40,000 has been sent to our friends in Zamość for assistance with the many refugees that continue to arrive there from war-torn Ukraine. We are close to sending our next $5,000 donation to help with their ongoing needs. We rejoice in the continued outpouring of generosity from our community. Let’s keep up the momentum and show our partner city Zamość that they and the many thousands of Ukranian refugees remain firmly in our deepest sympathies.
June 2023, FHSC is proud to announce that coming up in October is the German American Heritage Month and the Polish American Heritage Month. Mayor Dickey has agreed to issue a Proclamation to honor these times. We are planning a special celebration for these important events for October 1, 2023. Be on the lookout for more announcements as they are planned.
● What is German-American Heritage Month? October is German American Heritage Month in recognition of the founding of Germantown, PA in October 1683. Fifteen percent of Americans are of German descent, which is the largest ancestral group in the United States. In 1983 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October 6 as German-American Day to celebrate and honor the 300th anniversary of German American immigration and culture to the United States.
● What is Polish American Heritage Month? In October 1986 President Reagan issued proclamation 5548 – Polish American Heritage Month. “Our Nation owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the millions of freedom-loving Poles who have come to our shores to build a new land. Polish Americans can be justly proud of the vital contributions people of Polish descent made to our Nation in the arts, the sciences, religion, scholarships and every area of endeavor.
April 2023, After the long pandemic hiatus, FHSC and FH High School announced it will once again coordinate and participate in student exchanges with sister city Dierdorf Germany in the fall of 2023. Twelve Dierdorf students with three chaperones will arrive on October 20th to participate in a sports themed exchange. They will spend time in school and also have the opportunity to learn more about Arizona during their road trips. The program is coordinated by Luke Salzman a teacher at FH High School and an FHSC board member. FHSC supports the visit by making the student’s state-wide excursions possible with a financial contribution. Please see the announcement Here and for any questions, see our Student Exchange page for ways for you to contribute or participate!
April 2023, The FHSC organization wishes to recognize our Sister Cities friends at II High School in Zamość, Poland, where a team of students recently took first place in the eighth edition of the nationwide “Faces of America” English Language Competition! This country-wide event was held in late March at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. Team members Victoria Szajner, Mateusz Czerw, and Konrad Kaim received high praise from the organizers, who congratulated them on their knowledge and winning the contest. Mayor Dickey sent a personal note of congratulations to the students.
May 2023, Members from FHSC attended an exciting evening May 10th at the FH Community Center for the FH High School Scholarship Award Ceremony which celebrated the many talented graduating students. We awarded two scholarships at $1,000 each to two outstanding students.
● The Foreign Language International Studies Scholarship was given to Jamine Pycha who has studied beyond her high school courses to learn more about world history. She studies the Chinese language and will attend ASU W.P. Carey School of Business in pursuit of a degree in Business with an emphasis on Global Politics.
● The International Leadership Scholarship was presented to Madeline Remm. Her leadership is apparent as she served as the Student Government Vice President for the past two years. She is actively involved in Key Club, National Honor Society and Band. She is also a talented Ballet performer. She will attend the University of Arizona with a double major in Business Management and Philosophy.
April 2023, Our Mayor Ginnie Dickey and Sister Cities Leaders have invited Zamość Representatives Andrzej Wnuk, Mayor of the City of Zamość and Agnieszka Kowal Director of the Department of Education of the City of Zamość to visit Fountain Hills the week of October 15. It will be an honor to host these visitors and introduce them to Fountain Hills and the surrounding area during the week of their stay. A detailed program is in the works.
May 2023, FHSC’s members embark on a long journey to find a new Sister City to partner with after the official and unfortunate disconnect with Kasterlee Belgium. A team comprised of FHSC members, FH City Advisory Commission members and residents from the community at large, will investigate and determine where our next Sister City will be. Suggestions so far include locations in Asia, Canada, Italy and Mexico, they are all interesting possibilities. We will keep you advised of the progress and welcome your suggestions! See our Contact page and select “other” to enter your comments for new cities that share our community’s characteristics and have relational connections to our residents.
June 2023 It is likely that FHSC will begin planning and announce a much-awaited adult tour sometime in 2024. Please keep in mind that FHSC does not sponsor travel costs, only organizes the destination and activities to participate in. Stay tuned in for more developments as this is likely to be a spectacular event to join in on.
Richard Nueheisel, John & Linda Kavanaugh, Jean Linzer, Jackie Miles, Grady Miller, Gerald & Mary Comeau, Fred & Barb Hansen, Estelle Mackey, Bogumil Horchem & Elizabeth Matej-Horchem, James Wilson, Christine Colley, Chandra Merica, Katarzyna Suchanek
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And enjoy additional perks beyond just receiving the FHSC Quarterly Newsletter.
Please use the donation link below. This will allow you access to our convenient and secure PayPal/Credit Card donation interface.
Sign up for the Frys Community Rewards program, specify Fountain Hills Sister Cities as your desired non-profit organization, and a % of your Fry’s Food Stores purchases will be donated directly to our causes. Simple, Thoughtful, Automatic.
High school students can apply by April 17 for the Global Ties Arizona 2023 Summer Young Diplomats Program, to be held June 12 to June 16.
Fountain Hills Sister Cities wraps up another quarter of successful international activities here locally and with its partner cities.
The competition among Sister City Zamosc students, aims to showcase detailed knowledge of the U.S. and promote English language proficiency among Poland’s youth.
