The city of Foley has formed a partnership with Hennef, Germany. The Foley Sister Cities Board of Commissioners are excited to announce that their first student delegate exchange was very successful. The returning Foley High School student delegates and teacher chaperones attended a recent Foley City Council meeting. Copper Watkins, one of the student representatives, gave a presentation to Foley City Council about their experiences on their current exchange to Germany. They visited Hennef, Germany, staying with host families while visiting schools, the cities of Cologne and Bonn Germany, and the surrounding area of castles, cathedrals, chocolate factories and bakeries to mention a few of their favorite. While in Hennef, the students and chaperones visited City Hall and meet with Mayor Dahm. After their visit in Hennef, they spent three days in Munich, Germany, touring that city, the Dachau concentration camp, and Neuschwanstein Castle. The students and chaperones report that there was a unbelievable warm reception from the Hennef families and citizens. Many stated they have built relationships for a lifetime. Students described this trip as a life-changing experience, and they have gained a lift time of connections. Kylee Raulerson, chaperon, said she “was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Hennef hosts. It was amazing.” Dr. Michael Roy, teacher, stated “that at the heart of this program is building relations. I feel confident in saying we did more than that. We built families.”
Linda B. Spangrud, Executive Director ended with thanking the Mayor and City Council for their support. “We could not do it without you. Travel opens your mind to other cultures and enables you to paint the palette of your life in more colors”.
Other topics shared by Linda B. Spangrud include the pen pal program where students in fifth grade in Foley and Hennef exchange letters with each other. Another project in the works is an International Intergenerational cookbook. The students of Foley High School and the Foley senior citizens and students and senior citizens in Hennef are working together to gather recipes for their cookbook. They will be combined into one cookbook with recipes in both languages, German and English. These cookbooks will be available for purchase by the general public. Other partnerships, such as culture, art, sports tourism are in the beginning stages of discussion.
Foley Sister Cities Commission will host its annual “Foley Sisters Cities, 5K Oktoberfest Run” on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at OWA starting at 9 a.m. This fundraiser will assist in raising funds for the Sister Cities’ initiatives such as recipe book, student trips and other projects. Sign up for the run is already available online. A unique feature of this run is that there is a costume contest. Come dressed in your German Oktoberfest costume (dreidels and lederhosen). Beer and pretzels will be available.
If you wish to be a sponsor or learn more, go to www.foleysistercities.com or email foleysistercities@gmail.com
The Foley Sister Cities Commission exists to promote long-term, global, people-to-people relationships through the development of international leadership, friendship, and understanding. It seeks to facilitate valuable partnerships and citizen diplomacy with cultural, educational, and commercial entities.
Contact Linda B. Spangrud if you are interested in getting involved with the Foley Sister Cities program and events.
Media Contact:
Linda b. Spangrud, Executive Director
Foley Sister Cities Board of Commissioners
815-978-5976.