Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Fountain Hills Sister Cities (FHSC) has been working on the selection of its next sister city.

FHSC’s current Sister Cities are Ataco, El Salvador (2007), Dierdorf, Germany (2005) and Zamosc, Poland (2014). Kasterlee, Belgium, which became Fountain Hills’ first Sister City in 2000, chose the Emeritus status in 2022.

A sister city relationship prospers best when there is a dedicated team that cultivates the partnership well into the future, according to a press release. A Sister City partnership process is a lengthy one that involves much coordination to establish the partnership through the final sign-off between the mayors or highest-elected officers of the chosen cities.

FHSC has inquired with sister cities members and Fountain Hills residents about where they would like to see its next partnership. Answers were varied and include Asia, Canada, the Canary Islands, Central America, Croatia, Italy and Mexico.

Five Italian cities have been proposed in a survey, and FHSC has partnered with the local Italian Club to begin building relationships in Italy.

President of the Italian Club Steve Baggio and FHSC President Christine Colley along with members of both organizations will coordinate this project.

The Town of Fountain Hills has been a loyal supporter of Fountain Hills Sister Cities endeavors, helping support student exchanges with Dierdorf and Zamosc and offering humanitarian support for Ataco.

For more information, visit fountainhillssistercities.org.