Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

Old Spanish Days Fiesta Spirit Georgey Taupin and Junior Spirit Aleenah Soriano

OLD SPANISH DAYS FIESTA SPIRITS PERFORM AT 2024 SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL SISTER CITIES DINNER

Following past Covid-19 pandemic cancellations The City of Santa Barbara Sister Cities Board once again held their Santa Barbara International Sister Cities Annual Dinner at the Cabrillo Pavilion where Old Spanish Days Fiesta Spirits 2024 Georgey Taupin, a high school junior at Oaks Christian online school, and Junior Spirit Aleenah Soriano, 5^th grader at Roosevelt Elementary School gave a beautiful and inspiring performance for the attending dinner guests representing all the Santa Barbara Sister Cities Committees. Mayor Randy Rowse and Sister Cities Council Liaison Oscar Gutierrez, who attend all Sister City Advisory Board meetings, were also in attendance for the dinner.

Margaret Saavedra, chair of the sister cities advisory board, welcomed guests and invited them by table to savor what she called an adventure in

international dining. The assorted dishes brought by attending members included a lovely variety of flavors from George Papazachardioudakis,

president Patras, Greece, Margarita Zaske, president Miraflores Peru, Margaret Saavedra, president Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Linda Maxwell, president and Takako Wakita, Past Chair of the Sister Cities Advisory Board Toba Japan, and Jessy Lee, Jill Stassinos co-presidents and vice

presidents of Weihai China group as well as dishes from many attending members.

The evening included a Sister City gift basket presentation, entertainment by Emiliano Campobello on the Native American Flute, a brief but fun greeting from Mayor Randy Rowse, an introduction of the new Santa Barbara Sister Cities membership brochures, and a special thank you to Weihai member Cynthia Woo for her beautiful flower arrangements, which a lucky person at each table took home.

Huge Kudos to our major contributors for the Santa Barbara International Dinner George and Denise Lilly, SJL Broadcast Management, who founded the Kotor Montenegro Sister Cities group which supports exchanges with Kotor International Music Festival and Music Academy of the West, as well as culinary training for students with disabilities through the Goran Millic’ Culinary Academy, along with exchanges between water polo teams from Santa Barbara and Kotor Montenegro.

Special thanks also to Scott Burns and the planning committee members including Bonnie Carroll and Alicia Sorkin, Mexico, Jill Stasinos, China, Margarita Zaske, Peru, Rory Moore, Japan, George Papazacharioudakis, Greece and a village of

wonderful volunteers who made it all happen. Additional dinner sponsors included Bonnie Carroll, commemorative designer cake, Scott Burns, wine assortment, Doug Margerum, Margerum Winery and thank you to each sister city for providing a beautiful gift basket that lucky guests took home to enjoy.

Sister Cities International is a living legacy left by the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who conceived the program and initiated it in

1956. SCI’s mission is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. A sister city is a long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to be joined as sister cities. Sister Cities International (SCI) currently has over 500 U. S. cities with relationships in more than 2,000 communities in over 140 countries.

Santa Barbara currently has six Sister Cities and are an official board of the City of Santa Barbara, which meets bi-monthly at City Hall. Each sister city is independent and pursues activities and thematic areas important to them and their sister community, including municipal, business, trade, educational and cultural exchanges and projects. For Sister City membership information please visit www.santabarbaraca.gov.