A local group is preparing for another summer of international relations.
The Kent-Auburn-Tamba Sister Cities Committee had its big fundraiser for the year April 24 at the Green River Community College, and organizers say it went so well that the KAT organization is in a good position to fund its activities for the year.
Those activities are focused on sending a delegation of 10 local students to Tamba, Japan, and to host a visit, in return, of a group of 10 Japanese students. In a true exchange of cultures, each student will be paired with a student from the other delegation, staying in each other’s homes and becoming acquainted with each other’s cultures by interacting with their host families.
Saturday’s banquet, which featured a live and silent auction, takes the KAT group toward that goal in a big way.
“We’re still tallying the proceeds,” said Kent resident Dave Mortenson, a longtime participant on the committee. “Our goal was to raise enough to cover the cost of the program. We surpassed that and we are very happy.”
When asked what the biggest cost to the program was, Mortenson explained it was getting the kids to their destination.
“Our biggest program right now is the youth-ambassador program. Most of the money goes into air fare to get the kids over there,” Mortenson said, noting the KAT Committee will pick up part of the airline-ticket expense, while the students and their families must raise funds to cover the remainder of the cost.
The student ambassadors hail from the south King County area, largely from the Kent and Auburn school districts. They apply for an ambassadorship early in the year, and KAT Committee members then interview them and their families, to determine the top applicants.
As Mortenson put it, this is more than just a sightseeing trip.
“They are truly representing not only us, but also representing the Kent and Auburn areas and their schools,” he said.
Making up this year’s delegation of ambassadors is:
Justin Chan, Kentridge; Julie Pedrini, Kent-Meridian; Colin Hauck, Kentwood; Vincent Lau, Kentridge; Dillon Hurley, Auburn Mountainview Academy; Stacy Taller, Kentridge; Sara Davison, Kent-Meridian; Amy Nguyen Kent-Meridian; Hayden Stanko, Auburn Riverside and Tommy Pham, Kentwood.
Parents of former Tamba ambassadors, Al Oshiro and Ward Scotland, are the group’s chaperones, and also will be staying in host-family homes.
Mortenson said they are still working out travel schedules, but the Japanese students should be coming in late July, while the local students will head over for their stay probably in early August.
This year’s delegation visit marks an especially exciting moment for organizers.
The mayor of Tamba will be accompanying the delegation of Japanese students to the U.S., along with a member of the Tamba City Council.
“We’re really happy about that,” Mortenson said, noting it was a big honor. “We’ve been asking about that for a number of years.”
By the same token, Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke has paid Tamba a visit also, as part of a delegation several years ago.
That kind of intercultural exchange is critical, in developing an open mind about the world, she said, in a phone interview about the program.
“The opportunity to experience another culture, with a different language, gives youth a stronger sense of connection with both the United States and the world,” she said Tuesday. “It emphasizes the fact that our connection to each other and around the world is through relationships.
“This gives kent youth a chance to be a part of that bigger picture.”
To learn more about the KAT Committee and the exchange program, visit www.katsistercity.org.
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