Hood River-Tsuruta Sister City: A Cultural Exchange

“This was a high energy group,” said Board President LisaAnn Kawachi. “They had great attitudes and were up for anything.”

Activities during the week included visits to Hood River and Wy’east middle schools, a Portland Trailblazers game at the Moda Center and shopping at Clackamas Town Center. The group also had a day visiting Mid Valley Elementary for a tree planting, Pine Grove and Idlewilde cemeteries, and the downtown shopping area — not to mention a cooking lesson and lunch with Ben Stenn of Celilo and roller skating at Westside Elementary.

On Thursday, the group spent half a day at Mt. Hood Meadows, receiving complimentary lessons, rentals and lift tickets, then came home to spend one last evening with their host families.

Friday morning saw the group at the Hood River Aquatic Center, where a bus picked them up at 8:30 a.m. for the drive to Portland International Airport and the flight home.

There was time for one more photo … and then one more, high fives and hugs, before filing onto the bus. As is tradition, host families waved the students off as the bus drove away.

The annual middle school exchange occurs every spring. The next sister city exchange will be when Tsuruta high school students visit this fall.