The 2021 Sister City Friendship Dinner was unlike anything we have ever done before. And it was a huge success because of all of you who joined us on Zoom. We were thrilled to finally welcome our friends from Ukraine and Japan to join us all at the same time! It was wonderful to see many new and familiar faces. The guests enjoyed socializing and participating in the activities during the event.
Also because it was virtual, we were able to record it for prosperity. So now you can watch, or rewatch, in the comfort of your own home with a bowl of borsch or platter of futomaki: Japanese and Ukrainian music and dance; an exclusive interview of Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and proud Analy graduate, Steven Pifer; or the whole shebang, depending on your mood and schedule.
Enjoy!
I HAVE… an hour and a half, and I want to experience (or relive) the fun of the 2021 Friendship Dinner.
…a half hour, and I’m in the mood to clap my hands!
While we missed being able to participate in the entertainment, it was comforting to see some of our favorite entertainers from the past. This video of Zoloti Maky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble was taken at last year’s Friendship Dinner. The Bandura Ensemble of Northern California, based in Sacramento, plays a classic dance piece on the traditional Ukrainian folk instrument.
Our long-time partner, Sonoma County Taiko is shown here performing their last live pre-pandemic performance in January 2020. And finally, the City of Chyhyryn, Department of Culture, Leisure and Sports extends Ukrainian holiday greetings.
… 20 minutes, and I am curious about U.S. diplomacy with Ukraine.
Sebastopol World Friend’s Board member Abigail Evans interviews former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Steven Pifer, about his Sebastopol roots and his thoughts on citizen diplomacy, among other topics.
Thank you to our special guests:
Consul General Toru Maeda of Japanese Consulate in San Francisco
Consul General Dmytro Kushneruk of Ukrainian Consulate in San Francisco Kevin O’Donnell of Sister Cities International
Sebastopol City Councilmember and SWF liaison Patrick Slayter
Sebastopol Vice Mayor Sarah Gurney
Sebastopol Councilmember Neysa Hinton
Sebastopol Councilmember Diana Rich
Congratulations to Our 2021 Honorary Membership Recipients:
Darryl Yagi and Julene Leach of Enmanji Buddhist Temple in recognition of their long-time support of SWF.
We would also like to Recognize and Thank our MC Tim Forslund and the following people who worked hard behind the scene:
Tom Boag
Jack Dunlap
Stefania Cappi
Steve Levenberg
