SCI Award - The Oak Ridger

Wednesday, June 10, 1998

OR gets honors for sister-city programs

From staff reports

The Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization has won this year's Best Overall Program Award for its sister-city programs with Obninsk, Russia, and Naka-machi, Japan.

The Best Overall Program Award recognizes the best 1997 sister-city program in the United States for outstanding exchanges and activities that demonstrate broad community participation and innovative programming in each of its sister-city partnerships.

Mayor Walter Brown, on behalf of the city and the Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization, will receive the Sister Cities International commendation during a special ceremony at SCI's 42nd annual conference on July 31 in Miami Beach, Fla. The awards program has been in existence for 36 years.

Brown said receiving the award is a great honor and that the people who work so hard making the program a success deserve recognition for their efforts.

One person who is heavily involved in the Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization is its president, Oak Ridge gastroenterologist Ken Luckmann.

"The Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization has placed the highest priority on strengthening our community interest and commitment to understanding cultures of different nations," Luckmann is quoted in the news release as saying. "Winning this coveted international award is a tribute to the volunteers who have invested their time and dedication over the past year."

"The Sister Cities International annual award program recognizes the work of the very best sister cities programs in the nation," Juanita Crabb, executive director for Sister Cities International, is quoted in the release as saying. "These programs demonstrate to other cities how to create exciting and innovative new ideas and exchanges into their own sister-city program."

Sister Cities International is a nonprofit organization that works closely with U.S. communities to develop lasting relationships with counterpart communities in other nations. Today, SCI is driven by citizen diplomats and city officials in more than 1,200 United States cities and their 2,000 partners in 125 countries.

The Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization was formed in 1991 by citizen volunteers to assist the Oak Ridge City Council formulate and carry out its sister-city programs. Oak Ridge became sister cities with Naka-machi in 1989 and with Obninsk in 1992.

For more information about the Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization, call Luckmann at 483-3958 or visit the Web site at http://www.geocities.com/~ortnscso.