Casey team members from left, Cr Rob Wilson, Heather Wilson, Ermera president Jan Trezise, Australian Sister Cities Association president Kevin Hill, Casey team leader community development Lisa Speirs, Edwin Flack Games coordinator Angie Vrieze, Casey Youth Ambassador (CYA) delegates Leslie Preston and Roujeh Mizher, Casey’s Global Friendships Committee delegate Rebecca Scullion, CYA delegate David Campbell, Casey youth development officer Deilia Murray, CYA delegates Evelyn Jolayemi and Chris Zaher.CONGRATULATIONS to the City of Casey for scooping the pool in the awards section of the Australian Sister Cities Conference at Traralgon last month.
Casey won four awards from 42 entries submitted by 16 cities. They were for youth achievement for the Casey Youth Ambassadors (CYA) involvement in the Connolly Games held in Springfield, Ohio; for assistance to a sister city, involving assistance to Ermera in East Timor; a sports project for involvement in the Connolly Games; and for a new affiliation, which involved the Casey affiliation with East Timor. These were all communitybased projects that required considerable effort from a large section of the community. The Connolly Games trip to America by more than 100 people provided a onceinalifetime experience for dozens of our young people and that is what the sister cities movement is all about.
CYA provides ongoing leadership programs for young people, the Ermera contact in East Timor, although more of an altruistic program that involves helping neighbours rather than a twoway relationship, and the reciprocal Connolly and Edwin Flack Games held alternatively in Casey and Springfield that has the potential to provide ongoing travel experiences for young people.
