Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the International Partnerships topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission backs nonfinancial partnership with Reken, Germany and hears pitch from Hero's Wings foundation
Summary
Commissioners agreed to pursue a city partnership with Reken, Germany after residents Don and Shelly Atkins described a World War II aircraft recovery that inspired their nonprofit Hero's Wings; staff will schedule a Zoom meeting and later consider a resolution to formalize the partnership.
Commissioners signaled unanimous support Aug. 12 for exploring a nonfinancial city partnership between Lighthouse Point and Reken, Germany after hearing from residents who visited the town and founded Hero's Wings, a nonprofit that locates missing U.S. service members.
Commissioner Kyle (speaker 4) introduced the idea and invited Don and Shelly Atkins to explain their trip and the foundation's work. Don Atkins (speaker 6) described the group's work locating crash sites and helping families. "Hero's Wings started as a little pictorial of the trip, but it grew to we said Shelly said and the guy that helped us, what if we make a foundation... it grew to a 5 0 1 c 3," Atkins said, and noted the nonprofit is headquartered in Lighthouse Point.
Atkins said the German mayor and citizens warmly received the visitors and that the two towns share civic and cultural similarities that make a nonfinancial partnership practical. Commissioners discussed avoiding the formal Sister Cities International membership because of cost and instead passing a city resolution to record the partnership and plan a Zoom introduction in the coming months. The commission asked staff to prepare a resolution and outreach plan; no fiscal commitment was proposed at the meeting.
