Dear Friends -
Both personally and on behalf of the Ulaanbaatar Denver Sister Cities Committee and Denver Sister Cities International, I want to thank all of you for joining us for our April 1st gathering celebrating Mongolia, our long relationship with Nomadic Expeditions, and the many years of exchanges between Mongolia and Colorado.
This year is especially meaningful for many of us as we celebrate 35 years of Colorado–Mongolia relations and 25 years of the Ulaanbaatar–Denver Sister Cities partnership. It was therefore particularly enjoyable to have so many old friends and past delegates together again for this occasion. Many of the more than 200 people attending that evening have traveled with us to Mongolia over the years and have personally experienced the extraordinary hospitality, friendships, cultural exchanges and educational opportunities that have developed through these delegation visits. For many of us, these relationships and shared experiences have now spanned decades.
The evening at the University Club was also an important reminder that these exchanges continue to grow and evolve. The Morin Khuur performances and participation of the young musicians reflected not only Mongolia’s remarkable cultural traditions, but also the importance of involving younger generations in these international friendships and programs.
Over the years, Sister Cities, Nomadic Expeditions, schools, volunteers, and many dedicated individuals on both sides of the Pacific have worked together in many different ways to strengthen relations between Mongolia, Colorado and the United States. These efforts have included student and teacher exchanges, cultural and educational programs, leadership development, professional delegations, humanitarian activities, and community partnerships. Many of you receiving this email have directly contributed to and participated in these activities over many years.
One of the most rewarding aspects of these programs has been seeing younger participants experience Mongolia firsthand and then return home with a deeper understanding of other cultures, international cooperation, leadership, and civic engagement. Many participants have described these exchanges as life-changing educational and cultural experiences which continue to influence their schools, careers, communities and friendships long after the trips themselves conclude.
As many of you know, these kinds of opportunities only continue when people step forward to help preserve them for future generations.
One important way to help is through support of the Luby-Jenkins Fund, which provides scholarship assistance to students with financial need so that they may continue to have access to these kinds of meaningful international experiences and exchanges. One hundred percent of contributions to this fund are used exclusively for direct student scholarship support.As we look ahead to future exchanges and upcoming delegations, we hope that many of you will continue to remain involved with and support these efforts.
We also invite those of you who are not yet a Member of Denver Sister Cities International to consider joining and helping sustain these important exchanges and relationships for future generations.
Donation and membership information is provided below.
Thank you again for your friendship, participation and continuing support over so many years. We very much look forward to continuing these mutual efforts and exchanges together in the years ahead.
Most sincerely,
Jim Wagenlander
Honorary Consul of Mongolia
Chair, Ulaanbaatar–Denver Sister Cities Committee
