(Photo courtesy of BendBelluno Sister City Organization)
The Bella Bend Beautiful Belluno community celebration is August 4 at the BendBelluno Sister City Plaque next to Greg’s Grill in the Old Mill District. The activities begin at 5pm with music by The Summit Express (Italian) Jazz Band with a special outdoor bar set up by Greg’s Grill. A short celebration begins at 6pm with a focus on current exchanges between our communities including culinary, masters swimming, and the summer youth exchange with three students from Belluno participating.
Belluno, Italy is a similar sized community 35 miles north of Venice located at the base of the world famous Dolomites. Our cities have partnered, creating a unique sister city relationship with a growing list of reciprocal cultural exchanges.
The BendBelluno Sister City relationship was official in 2011 with formal documents supported by city councils of both communities. Prior to that, former Bend Mayor Oran Teater and his wife, Jane, spent time in Belluno connecting with a former exchange student hosted by Jane’s family many years ago.
Oran shared the Belluno story saying “ We found many similarities between Belluno and Bend as our cities are both regional centers for government and commerce, as well as recreational communities with world class winter and summer activities. Both are blessed with amazing mountain views as Belluno is at the base of the Dolomites .”
With the BendBelluno Sister City partnership, residents from each city are invited to learn firsthand through one on one relationships the common issues the two communities share, in spite of cultural and language differences.
Just a few of the organization’s multiple cultural exchange successes:
● Italian cultural talks in Bend with the latest presentation entitled “Nordic skiing in the Dolomites.”
● Summer Youth Cross Cultural Exchange: Bend area high school juniors spend three weeks with a Belluno high school student, followed by a reciprocal three week hosting of the Belluno student here in Bend. Twenty two students have participated in the last three years.
● Cascade Culinary Institute at COCC six week educational exchange with Scuola Alberghiera (SA) in Belluno: The Bend chef and students attend classes, teach and participate in stage experiences in Belluno province, reciprocating with a similar hosting of the Belluno chef and students at the Cascade Culinary Institute in Bend.
Angelo Paganin of Belluno says, “The sister city activities and especially the students exchanges are a concrete opportunity to overcome stereotypes and barriers, especially in this period in which walls are built. It is an example to a real and deep knowledge between people, an opportunity of friendship and hospitality and a way to promote the natural beauties of each side as the slogan “Bella Bend Beautiful Belluno” states”.
Laura Becker, who has been involved in the early development of both the summer student exchanges and the COCC Cascade Culinary Institute exchange, expresses these sentiments, “any time you can connect students in real life learning opportunities in another place in the world, there is much gained both for the individuals and the communities.”
Echoing her comments, Kit Carmiencke, long involved in exchanges, sees these exchanges develop and deepen into lasting relationships. “These are summer vacations that can last a lifetime.”
This event is open to the public and is supported by the Bend Sister City Foundation, Greg’s Grill, The Old Mill District and the BendBelluno Sister City Organization.
