Twinned Japanese city group visits Americus

Group members meet with Sumter Middle School Principal,
Mrs. Carolyn Hamilton. Center: Superintendent Sawako Hisashi.
(Courtesy Sumter Co. School Board)

Seven adults and 35-schoolchildren from sister city Miyoshi City - Konu Town, are visiting under the auspices of a municipal friendship pact.

The group will take part in a memorial for the two victims of the twister that tore through the city on March 1st.

Map showing twister's destructive swath.
Click photo for larger image. (Dave Bender)

A Sumter County Board of Education official told the Americus Times-Recorder the sister city donated $14,000 to Americus, which used the funds to purchase the memorial.

The group will stay with host families, and students will attend a local school and take part in other events with their Georgian counterparts.

Previous GPB News coverage of the tornado is here.