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Promoting International Teamwork through Friendly Competition   Imagine this: A Finnish XC skier handing off to a Russian snowboarder, who then hands off to a Japanese runner, who hands off to an Australian road biker, and so forth.   Please give our 2013 Saturna Capital Sister Cities Ambassadors Ski to Sea Team a big HURRAH!    Vaasa, Finland; Cheongju, South Korea; Tsetserleg, Mongolia; Port Stephens, Australia; Tateyama, Japan; and of course Bellingham are sending athletes to race from mountain to bay. It will be another fun-filled and important week for citizen diplomacy in Bellingham.   Host Homes Needed We are looking for folks who would like to serve as host families during our visitors stay. Drop us an e-mail at sistercityross@comcast.net and let us know you'd like to be a host family. Donation Forms Download the Donation Form here >>>. Are you willing to provide financial support to fly some of these athletes to Bellingham and to cover other costs associated with the week's activities? Please show your support by mailing a check made out to BSCA, to Sister Cities Association c/o Mayor's Office, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA 98225. Your help is important.   You are invited to meet our visitors at the finish line pot luck party in Fairhaven which was a powerful event last year. Also, you are invited to walk side by side with our visitors in the Ski to Sea Grand Parade on Saturday before race day. Reply to intern@bsca.org to let us know you'd like to be in the parade and/or attend the party. Our visitors are being asked to bring 2 children's books from their cities so we can begin a book exchange and organize a book reading at Northern Heights International Baccalaureate Elementary School this fall. Thank you for your continued and generous support. Ross Grier Tateyama City Chairperson Ski to Sea Coordinator Bellingham Sister Cities Association Mayor's Office, City Hall 210 Lottie Street Bellingham, WA 98225 USA e-mail: sistercityross@comcast.net cell: 360-927-3687   Website: Bellingham Sister City Association

 

Bellingham Sister Cities
* Cheongju, South Korea * Nakhodka, Russia * Port Stephens, Australia

* Punta Arenas, Chile * Tateyama, Japan * Vaasa, Finland * Tsetserleg, Mongolia-application in progress

 

The Bellingham Sister City Association, a Citizens Advisory Board to the Mayor of the City of Bellingham, in tandem with the Sea to Ski Race, will be inviting our Seven Sister Cities from around the world to put together whole or partial teams to participate in the Annual Sea-to Ski Race here in Whatcom County.

 

Shingo Ito, a graduate of the Western Washington University College of Business and Economics, developed operational guidelines for this endeavor. Download the Operational Guidelines. If you would like to contact Shingo, please email him at shingo_star@hotmail.com

 

If you would like to become involved in this effort (Host Family, lending race gear, or other ways), please Email Bellingham Sister City program at: intern@bsca.org

 

Photos of Shingo Ito making his presentation to the Bellingham Sister Cities Association last December.