First Sister Cities Fundraiser and Awards Reception Draws Hundreds
An estimated 250 guests attended the first Miami-Dade County Sister Cities Fundraiser Reception and Awards Ceremony, which was hosted by Mayor Carlos Alvarez on March 20th at the Port of Miami's new state-of-the-art cruise passenger Terminal D. The event started at 5:30 p.m. Many guests arrived early and several dozen were still socializing when the Port's cleaning crews began clearing the reception's site past 8:30 p.m.

Mayor Alvarez presented the Miami-Dade County International Citizen of the Year Award to Don Slesnick, Mayor of Coral Gables; and the first Walter Loy Service Award to Walter Loy, a distinguished member of Miami-Dade's international business community and former chairman of the Sister Cities Coordinating Council. Loy is presently on the ITC's Board of Directors and chairman of its European and Middle Eastern Trade Initiatives Ad Hoc Committee.

"We are here tonight to honor two outstanding members of our community for their special international contributions," said Mayor Alvarez. "These two men relish and appreciate our international flavor. They understand how important it is to further our community's economic development and promote intercultural understanding. Sister Cities isn't their hobby. It's part of who they are."

"Both Mayor Slesnick and Mr. Loy have been instrumental in furthering economic development and promoting cultural understanding with our international friends," added the mayor. "The partnerships they helped create and foster will leave a lasting mark on our community."

ITC Executive Director Tony Ojeda emceed the event. In his introductory remarks he pointed out that the Miami-Dade Sister Cities Program was launched in 1975 under then Mayor Steve Clark. Miami-Dade County currently has 23 Sister Cities in five continents.

"Since that time, we have developed relationships with twenty two other communities throughout the world, and many of them also have developed Sister Port agreements with the Port of Miami. Over the years we have both gone and received missions from many of these cities. I can tell you unequivocally that we have good friends all over the world."

Sister Cities Coordinating Council Chair, Shelly Fano, said in her remarks: "Sister Cities embodies the idea of working together across national borders to achieve a common goal for the benefit of the community, and the two individuals we honor here tonight, Mr. Loy and Mayor Slesnick, truly represent the spirit of cooperation which is at the heart of citizen diplomacy."

The event, which charged a $50 registration fee, raised $5,570 for the Miami-Dade County Sister Cities Program's community outreach and citizen diplomacy activities.

Founded more than 50 years ago by President Dwight Eisenhower, the goal of Sister Cities is to create and strengthen partnerships between U.S. and communities around the world through municipal cooperation, cultural understanding, and economic development activities.

There were 13 sponsors that supported the event. The major sponsors were the Port of Miami, CAMACOL, Carnival Cruise Lines, Ibese Wine Distributors and Philip Martin. Other sponsors included Miami Dade College, Blend Wine and Spirits, Dolce Fiesta Cookies, Trattoria Sole Restaurant, Rusty Pelican Restaurant, TiramesU Restaurant, Hirni's Wayside Garden Florist, and Blue Ribbon Blossoms.

Photos of the event are available at http://www.miamidade.gov/sistercities/gallery_fundraiser.asp