Sister City, Sanda Japan

Message from Sanda City Mayor

Sanda City, Japan has extended an invitation to anyone 18 years and older, living in Kittitas County, to participate in the 2022 Sanda International Masters Marathon on December 18, 2022. Travel expenses including the cost of obtaining a passport and spending money is not covered, however, they will arrange to stay with a host family, provide transportation to and from the airport near Sanda City, and include traditional & cultural experiences. There’ve been many community members over the years who've traveled to Sanda City and ran in the Masters Marathon. It’s truly an experience of a lifetime and the memories and friendships that are formed during your time in Japan is something you cannot put a price tag on. If you are interested in participating in the Masters Marathon please contact Julie Kjorsvik at 509.962.7508. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2022.

• Download the Masters Marathon Application

A history of exchanges between Kittitas County & Sanda, Japan

• 2007 Anniversary - Sister City Relationship
• Sanda City, Japan site

2017

• Kittitas residents compete in Sanda City Marathon

2016

• Sanda City children's art on exhibit at the Kittitas County Fair

2015

• March - High School Student Exchange

2014

• October - Displayed Kittitas County children's artwork at the Sanda Friendship Day
• August - Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County Camping/Hiking Experience
• July - Ellensburg Big Band in Sanda City
• April - High School Student Exchange

2013

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participate in the 25th Annual Masters Marathon in Sanda City, Japan (Josephine Camarillo and Darin Yusi).
• October - Displayed Kittitas County children's artwork at the Sanda Friendship Day
• August/September - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County hosts Yoko Sakata and her daughter Yumi Sakata from Sanda City. Ms. Sakata participated in the Whisky Dick Triathlon and received 3rd place in her age division.
  They were hosted by the Young family (Wade, Lisa, Brianna & Baylee).

2012

• December - Heidi Nollan participated in the Masters Marathon in Sanda City. She was accompanied by her son Dominic and parents Mike and Deborah Nollan
• October - Displayed children’s artwork from Kittitas County
• September - Displayed Sanda City children’s artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• August - Delegation from Sanda City visit Kittitas County and attend the Kittitas County Fair and Ellensburg Rodeo. (Rika Katake, Kyoko Lee, Kuniko Kasebe, Fumiko Yamazaki, Shinobu Nakamura and Miyako Nishida)
  Host families: Picha, Caulkins, Van Epps and Gestalter
• July - Ellensburg Blue Rocks baseball team (13U) and other delegates (total of 32 people) visited Sanda City for the 20 year anniversary celebration and participated in the annual Mayors Baseball Tournament.

  Players: Daniel Kjorsvik, Casey Curtis, Nate Andaya, Blake Gibson, Christian Ellinger, David Picha, Christian Berthon-Koch, Major Moffat, Bryce Helgeson, Matt Van Epps, Taylor Smith and Coaches Kevin Kjorsvik & Vince Curtis

  Others: Julie Kjorsvik, Mike and Michelle Helgeson, Brady Helgeson, Rob Moffat, Diahann Curtis, Jason Berthon-Koch, Cameron Curtis, John Picha, Nicole Ellinger, Mario Andaya, Mark Van Epps, Mike Van Epps, Robyn Hull, Amy Shiner, Nancy Lillquist, Clay Arango, Susi Gestalter and Rebecca Matthews

• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda City to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Takeshi Tsuda and Koji Fujiwara)
  Host family – Neil & Tamara Caulkins

2011

• October - Displayed children’s artwork from Kittitas County in Sanda City
• September - Displayed Sanda City children’s artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda City to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Tamao Shina & Tomoko Kishimoto)
  Host family – Rich & Kim Smith

2010

• October - Displayed children’s artwork from Kittitas County in Sanda City
• September - Displayed Sanda City children’s artwork at the Kittitas County Fair

2009

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participate in the Masters Marathon in Sanda City, Japan (Rich Smith and Danielle Berthon-Koch)
• September - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• August - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda City (Mr. Takashi Inoue and Mr. Yasuo Harai) to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon.

2008

• December - Runners from Kittitas County will participate in the Masters Marathon (Julie Halsen and Ryan Thompson)
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda City to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Mr. Bunta Saiuchi & Mr. Kiminori Ogino) and were accompanied by their wives Mrs. Kiyomi Saiuchi & Mrs. Kazue Ogino.
• July - Ellensburg Blue Rocks baseball team (14U) visits Sanda City to participate in the Mayors Baseball Tournament.

2007

• December - Runners from Kittitas County will participate in the Masters Marathon (Jeffrey Houck and Carey Gazis)
• August - Delegation from Sanda to celebrate 15 Year Anniversary of Sister City Relationship & took part in the Ellensburg Fair & Rodeo festivities
• August - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Miyuki Yamada, Tsutomu Oe)
• July - "Sanda Little Seniors" Baseball Team to Kittitas County (15 boys, 3 coaches and 4 adult chaperones) to participate in the Ellensburg Summer Slam baseball tournament taking 2nd place overall

2006

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Jeff Hashimoto and Lisa Young)
• September - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair 
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Katsumi Sugimoto & Kayoko Nakajima)

2005

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (John Stimberis and Liz Zentner)
• October - Kittitas County children's artwork exhibited on Friendship Day in Sanda and Sanda Youth Festival
• September - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Reiji Domoto & Takashi Maekawa)

2004

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Kristi Zollars and Bob Davis)
• October - Kittitas County children's artwork exhibited on Friendship Day in Sanda and Sanda Youth Festival
• September - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Yasushi Eda & Takashi Bando)

2003

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Vince Nethery and Janet B Davis)
• November - Ellensburg High School Dance Team along with Commissioner Perry Huston visited Sanda. Dance Team performed for schools and youth festival.
• October - Kittitas County children's artwork exhibited on Friendship Day in Sanda and Sanda Youth Festival
• September - Displayed Sanda City children's artwork at the Kittitas County Fair
• July - Kittitas County hosts 2 athletes from Sanda to participate in the Whisky Dick Triathlon (Toyoshi Miwa & Tadasu Okamoto)

2002

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Judy Bender and John Pickett)
• October - Kittitas County children's artwork exhibited on Friendship Day in Sanda and Sanda Youth Festival
• July - A delegation from Sanda visited Kittitas County to celebrate our 10 year Sister City anniversary.
• February - Sanda Relations Committee was recognized. County Commissioner Perry Huston took over lead and County Commissioners staff were delegated to perform duties of a group of volunteers to continue facilitating exchanges.

2001

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Timothy England and Kristin Farrand)
• October - Kittitas County children's artwork exhibited on Friendship Day in Sanda and Sanda Youth Festival
• August - Youth art exchange: Sanda's Yurinokidai Elementary School and Hakkei Junior High School and Sanda City photo exhibition at the Kittitas County Fair.

2000

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Mel VanHouten and Allison Carpenter)
• August - The Sanda Children's Choir (25 people) visited Kittitas County and performed at Hertz Hall with the Ellensburg Children's Choir
• March - Joint concert by Dr. Karyl Carlson (Central Washington University) and Junko Nagano (Sanda)

1999

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Gary Cummisk and Nancy Suttles)
• November - Farm families and other people employed in the agriculture visited farms in Kittitas County
• September - The Mayor of Sanda issued a certificate of appreciation to Jerry Williams for his support of the Kittitas/Sanda Friendship committee
• August - Central Washington Chamber Choir (24 persons) participated in the Sanda International Choir Festival

1998

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Ethan A. Bergman and Debbie Almberg-Thomas)
• Sanda's Youth Ballet visited Ellensburg on their way to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City

1997

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Patrick Mclaughlin and Diane L. Jones)
• September - Fifth anniversary was celebrated by having the Sanda Cultural Dance group performed at the Kittitas County Fair
• August - Aileen Barker & 6 Ellensburg High School students attended the Sanda's International Youth Conference
• The Ellensburg Rodeo Court visited Sanda and took part in the Sanda Summer Festival Dance

1996

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Ian Brown and Judie L. Boman)
• Official government delegation visited the Ellensburg Senior Center & with the Mayor of Ellensburg and the Kittitas County Commissioners

1995

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (David Lygre and Jody Scheffelmaier)
• March - Sanda hired assistant to English teacher at junior high school from Kittitas County
• Fairbanks potter & oil painting exhibit in Sanda
• Entertained delegation from Hyogo Prefecture that inaugurated the initial flight from Osaka's new airport

1994

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Dave Bridgeman and Barbara Hodges)
• June - CWU/Kittitas County dedication program for the Goju-no-to pagoda donated by the Sanda Minami Rotary Club and was placed in the Central Washington University's Japanese Garden

1993

• December - Runner from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Craig C. Carlson)
• August - Shinto music and dance members (23 people) Kittitas County & performed at Daman School
• July - Ellensburg High School Band performed in Sanda
• July - Over 300 delegates from Hyogo Prefecture came to the Kittitas County Fairgrounds to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the Sister State program between Washington & Hyogo.

1992

• December - Runners from Kittitas County participated in the Masters Marathon (Larry Almberg and Marian Hudson).
• September - The Sanda Daiko Band (11 drummers) visited Kittitas County and performed at the Kittitas County Fair
• April - Signed official agreement for Sister-City affiliation (April 6th in Kittitas County and April 24th in Sanda)

1991

• October - Sanda delegation came to Ellensburg for introductions.
• November - Ellensburg delegation went to Sanda for introductions.