
SARASOTA, FL
Welcome to Sister Cities of Sarasota’s Giving page!
We thank you for dropping by and we invite you to make a gift to the SCAS program(s) of your choice – each briefly described below – and thank you in advance for your generous support of the exciting plans we have for 2023.
Please feel free to visit our website on future occasions to check our progress and to join us at our events – please see our calendar for more information.
Continue scrolling for more options of how you can make a difference!
¡Hola! Mérida –
cultural, business and educational visits by representatives of Mérida to Sarasota
Support ¡Hola! Mérida. SCAS will host the dynamic team of Luis Nuñez and Yarima Barrerra, experts in Mayan history, and Mayan culture, as well as the riches of Merida and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Luis and Yarima are managers of the successful tourism business – Mundo Maya Tours and Excursions – that serves this beautiful area of Mexico. Luis and Yarima will meet with representatives of Visit Sarasota and USF to continue developing exchanges between our cities.
The couple will also engage with Spanish language students in secondary and higher education and with SCAS members during their stay in Sarasota.


Former Sarasota Mayor, Kelly Kirschner officially ratified the sister city partnership with Mérida, México in 2010
Our sister city of Mérida, México in the Yucatan pennisula is one of our most active sister cities



Young Playwrights –
Students and teachers from our sister cities work together to submit winning plays to Florida Studio Theater’s annual Write A Play contest – an international component of FST’s annual Young Playwrights Festival
Assist Young Playwrights and their teachers in our sister cities to fully participate in Florida Studio Theater’s annual Young Playwrights Festival.
Donations to our successful and well-established collaboration in this program with FST will help us offer training for more teachers to support the aspiring playwright talents in their classrooms and will also offset travel expenses for students who make successful entries to FST’s award-winning Write A Play program.



Diplomacy Sessions –
Contribute to Diplomacy Sessions, a national youth leadership program for high school and college students which we will pilot in the Sarasota area in 2023.
Diplomacy Sessions is a valuable and timely educational program that promotes public speaking, critical thinking and research by students.
Participants step into the shoes of diplomats to investigate, debate and seek solutions to vital challenges facing our global community.

SCAS General Mission –
Development of innovative programs that promote international goodwill in Sarasota and beyond.
We humbly request your support to keep funding the critical work we do year after year –
with the ability to expand our programming and services in our Sister Cities communities.

Our volunteer members at work
Board Members, (L-R) Sue Gordon and Gloria Grenier tirelessly volunteer on the “Write A Play” program that brings our winning international students from our Sister Cities to the Florida Studio Theatre’s (FST) Young Playwright Festival each spring. This is just one example of an educational and cultural exchange program that Sister Cities administers in collaboration with FST.
Gloria and Sue plan the program schedules each day for the 5 days that the students are in Sarasota; coordinating with all the volunteers needed to help with this program including Sister Cities members that open their homes to host students, parents, teachers, chaperones; make airport runs; plan a visit to City Hall to meet our Mayor and learn how our government works; shuttling students, teachers and chaperones between host homes and the FST venue downtown to watch their winning plays come to life with professional actors in front of a live audience. They pack a full program schedule in a week so that all of our visitors take home happy, inspirational and productive memories to share with others back in their home countries.
Making a Difference with your donation is easy and secure

Easy & Secure Online Payments
You can pay securely online using PayPal or any major credit card

Become a Member!
Signing up online is easy! Click here to register.
Join Sister Cities to engage more fully in our programs & iniatives
Bring your ideas to share!

International Community
Join our international community of “Citizen Diplomats” to continue to dialog for peace

Partner with our Sister & Friendship Cities
We need your skills, talents and experiences to help us expand and grow our future exchanges

Get Involved!
We welcome all Volunteers

OUR PROGRAMS & EXCHANGES
CULTURE – ¡HOLA! MÉRIDA
EDUCATION – WRITE A PLAY CONTEST
YOUTH LEADERSHIP – DIPLOMACY SESSIONS
ONGOING PROGRAMS & EXCHANGES THAT STRENGTHENS TIES
Thank you again for your generosity.
MORE INFO
Please check out our website to join and become a member of Sarasota Sister Cities.
To find out about upcoming activities, please check out our calendar page and feel free to come and join an activity or event.
For more information, please contact Karen Lyon, Vice President of Fund Raising klyon@sarasotasistercities.com by sending her an email on the right side of this page.
All are welcome!
Let’s Be the Change
