COURTHOUSE – The Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach will host a formal event this month to help the non-profit organization fund its international travel, programs and partnerships.
The First International Promenade of World Fashion and Arts is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at the Sheraton Oceanfront Ballroom at 3501 Atlantic Ave. There will be entertainment, food, a fashion show and a silent auction of original artwork and other items.
Tickets are available until Wednesday, April 15. The cost is $30 per person. The association also seeks additional donations for the silent auction, said Ruth Hodges Fraser, its president.
Fraser on Wednesday said the program has forged strong ties between the Beach and communities around the world, as well as significant cultural and personal connections between citizens here and abroad.
“Now we have to raise funds to establish funding for student, cultural, arts, sports exchanges – all sorts of exchanges that are in the spirit of Sister Cities International,” Fraser said.
In addition to supporting the involvement of young Beach residents in Sister City events, the association will also use proceeds from its fundraising efforts to pay for travel by officials and citizens.
“It brings international understanding, peace, culture, education, and economic development,” Fraser said of the program. “Everything that has happened with Sister Cities has been meaningful.”
Virginia Beach is sister cities with Miyazaki, Japan; Moss, Norway; Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland; and Olongapo, Philippines. The Beach also has a friendship city, San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
The Sister Cities program has led to a number of amenities around the city, such as the dedication of a peace monument at Red Wing Park this past month. It has also led to enduring friendships and partnerships.
The association is committed to involving your people in its work. Exchanges have included students from Tallwood High School and Kempsville Middle School, according to the city. Fraser said three Beach students serve on the non-profit board.
“It gives them a different outlook on life,” she said.
Reach the association at (757) 385-4303 for tickets, to donate or for additional information.