Welcome to the Sausalito-Viña del Mar program.
The purpose and mission of the Viña del Mar Sausalito Sister City program is to promote a cross-cultural and economic exchange between the two cities.
We are exploring opportunities to re-establish a pen pal program between school children in both cities and we are exploring an artist exchange program.
About the Program:
Fire Engine Donated to Viña del Mar
If you were awake in the early morning hours of November 17, you might have seen this sight: a fire engine loaded on a tractor trailer, heading out of Marin County on its way to Long Beach. From there, Fire Engine 7 will be loaded onto a ship heading for Chile.
A vision two years in the making
On October 8, the SMFD formally presented Fire Engine 7 to Rodrigo J. Villegas, representing Viña del Mar’s Bomberos Station 5, where the Engine will serve as a front-line engine. The ceremony marked the culmination of a two-year collaboration between our Viña del Mar operations council and SMFD.
The ceremony included Chilean Ambassador to the U.S. Juan Gabriel Valdés, and Chilean Consul General Patricio Cabezas. Also in attendance were Sausalito Mayor Joan Cox, Sausalito Police Chief Stacie Gregory, Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters’ Aide Doreen Gounard, Southern Marin Fire Board Director Tom Perazzo, Sister Cities Coordinator Monica Finnegan, Sister City supporter Lizzie Jeremi, and members of the SMFD command staff, Deputy Chief of Operations Matthew Barnes, Battalion Chief Travis Fox, Captain Manny Avila, and numerous firefighters and staff.
The donation was formally approved in September but the initiative began in 2023. At that time, in response to the fires that had recently swept through Chile, members of SMFD, in partnership with the VDM Ops Council, met with members of the Chilean Bomberos (by zoom). The local fire fighters shared their Disaster Preparedness Plan and the promise to collaborate in the future.
Then, in September 2024 SMFD hosted three Chilean bomberos who came to Marin along with a delegation of eight women from AGEP, the group of women entrepreneurs that the VDM team have been mentoring since 2011. (See “Sausalito Renaissance: Navigating the Post Pandemic Challenges” in 2024) The bomberos stayed at the various stations in southern Marin for an eight-day cultural and professional exchange. That visit, filled with shared training, camaraderie, and mutual respect, sparked the vision to send a fully equipped fire engine to Chile.
Battalion Chief Travis Fox and Captain Manny Avila led the effort over the following year, coordinating logistics, refurbishment, and international partnership requirements to make the donation possible.
The Rosenbauer Fire Engine, which proudly served the citizens of Mill Valley from 2013 to 2024 as Engine 7, will continue its service life in Viña del Mar, a city whose geography and wildfire risks closely mirror those of Southern Marin.
Shared Mission, Shared Landscape
The coastal communities of Sausalito and Viña del Mar share strikingly similar climates, terrain, and challenges, from hillside/urban interfaces to earthquakes, recurring wildfires and coastal weather conditions. We are proud to have facilitated the partnership between the fire fighters in Viña del Mar and SMFD.
“Sausalito Renaissance: Navigating the Post Pandemic Challenges”
In September 2024, a delegation of eight women, all part of AGEP-V a business networking organization in the Viña del Mar/Valparaiso region, visited Sausalito for two weeks. During that time an array of activities and events took place in Sausalito, starting with a full exhibit they brought with them, featuring eight artists from their organization. The exhibition was inspired by Violeta Parra, a beloved singer, songwriter and artist, known for reviving interest in indigenous cultures of Chile. Their exhibit, which opened first in Viña del Mar, included works of painting, embroidery, felting, textiles and eco printing. Here in Sausalito, the exhibit was open to the public for the duration of the two-week visit.
In addition, one of the delegates, Britania Salinas, was invited to participate in “Paint Sausalito”, a plein aire competition sponsored by the Sausalito Center for the Arts.
These accomplished businesswomen visited city officials and business owners, learning ways Sausalito and its citizens met with post-pandemic challenges. We showed them how we created collaborations between the arts, culture, education and entrepreneurship, and shared our plans for facing challenges in the future.
Disaster Preparedness
California and Chile share very similar geography: mountains, beaches, farmlands and desert. With this same geography, the two regions face similar challenges: earthquakes, fires, floods, and drought. In 2022 and 2024, wildfires ravaged the countryside in and around Viña del Mar, where they suffered tremendous losses of life and property, just as California has experienced. After the 2022 wildfire, we initiated a series of exchanges via zoom between our own Emergency Preparedness and Southern Marin Fire Departments in which we shared best practices.
After the February 2024 fire, we invited 3 fire fighters, (bomberos in Spanish) from the greater Viña del Mar region, to join the delegation of eight women that came in September. The bomberos stayed with our own Southern Marin Fire Department. They “shadowed” the local teams, and participated in best practices training in fire management, disaster preparedness and safety techniques.
The Sausalito – Cascais Sister City Council was pleased to present the Daniel Pereira Quarter in concert at The Pines. This will be the 7th fund raising event at The Pines in support of the Sausalito-Cascais Youth Sailing Exchange between sailors from Clube Naval de Cascais and the Sausalito Yacht Club.
Sausalito Sister Cities and the Sausalito Yacht Club welcomed six youth sailors and dignitaries from the City of Cascais and from Clube Naval. They participated in the July 4th Parade and practiced for a sailing competition between the two yacht clubs. The sailors made the competition trophy with the help of the Sausalito Tall Ship staff.
Viña Del Mar Mentoring begins with a new series of Zooms with the Chilean women of AGEP-V.
Foods and wines from Sausalito’s three Sister Cities were served at the Come Fly With Us fundraiser November 4, 2022 and the Spinnaker dance floor got a workout driven by the serious dancing to live music from Revolver.
In 2021, Sausalito Sister Cities celebrated a year of cultural exchange, international recognition, and community engagement through a variety of events.
International Women’s Day
To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, members from Sausalito and Viña del Mar, Chile, gathered over Zoom to honor the occasion.
Sausalito Music Revival
On June 28, the organization hosted the Sausalito Music Revival at Ondine, an event celebrating local music and fostering camaraderie.
2021 International Award for Best Business, Trade, and Professional Exchange
The community also gathered to celebrate the prestigious 2021 International Award for Best Business, Trade, and Professional Exchange, recognizing Sausalito’s excellence for cities of its size.
Viña del Mar Plaza
Events continued in Viña del Mar Plaza, where Sister Cities supporters came together to celebrate in a symbolic space honoring the bond between Sausalito and its Chilean sister city.
Masquerade Ball
The year’s highlights continued with a Masquerade Ball fundraiser on October 30 at The Spinnaker, where attendees enjoyed an evening of elegance and mystery, raising funds to support the organization’s ongoing initiatives.
In 2020, members from Viña del Mar and Sausalito met on Zoom.
Viña del Mar Men’s Club
In 2017, the Viña del Mar Men’s Club hosted a gathering with John McVeigh.
Herbs Friends
October included a meeting with Herbs Friends, the Reitz Family Business.
Meeting in Viña
Towards the end of the year, members of Sausalito Sister Cities and AGEP-V met in Viña.
In May 2016, the “Come Fly With Us” fundraiser was held at Cavallo Point.
In 2015, the Sausalito Sister Cities program continued its dynamic events and initiatives. A James Bond 007-Themed Fashion Show fundraiser held in March at Gene Hiller’s built on the success of the previous year.
Viña del Mar Exchange
In October, the Viña del Mar exchange began with a colorful parade in Santiago, followed by mentoring sessions focused on supporting Chilean businesswomen.
Visit to Valparaíso, Comercio District
Members also visited Valparaíso’s Comercio District on October 14, immersing themselves in the local business scene.
Farewell Celebration
The exchange concluded with a farewell celebration on October 17.
Susan Roe Foundation
Additionally, the Susan Roe Foundation took a significant step towards establishing a marine animal center in Chile by signing its organizational documents.
Kingston Winery
A Casablanca-themed event was held at Kingston Winery with Courtney Kingston, adding a touch of elegance to the year’s gatherings.
Mentoring for Women in Business
The year also featured a series of mentoring sessions focused on women and business practices. In Viña del Mar, members connected with local women entrepreneurs, furthering support for women in business.
AGEP and Visit to Valparaíso
The group enjoyed a lively social time with AGEP ladies, as well as an enriching visit to Valparaíso, exploring the city’s cultural landscape.
James Bond 007-Themed Fashion Show
A James Bond-Themed Fashion Show fundraiser brought excitement and fundraising in 007 style, while participation in Sausalito’s Fourth of July Parade added a patriotic flair to the year’s activities.
Viña del Mar and Sausalito: 7 Days, 7 Women, 7 Dreams
The cornerstone of the Viña del Mar Sister City program is the women in business mentoring program. In 2013, a group of Sausalito women entrepreneurs, led by the Mayor, traveled to Viña del Mar in conjunction with International Day of the Woman celebrations. At that time, we connected with AGEP (Asociación Gremial de Empresarias y Profesionales), a group of women business owners in the Viña del Mar/Valparaiso region. The Sausalito group held seminars and workshops for AGEP where they exchanged information and ideas on such topics as leadership, business growth and development.
Later that year, a delegation from AGEP came to Sausalito. Since dubbed “7 Days, 7 Women, 7 Dreams”, the program will soon see its third group of women from Viña visiting Sausalito, where they stay with resident hosts. In the first two years, their itinerary included a wide range of business and cultural programs including a private meeting with Isabel Allende, touring the California wine country and workshops on such topics as marketing, financial responsibility and empowerment.
Also in 2013, Chilean Consul General Rolando and Consul General Matais visited The Pines, and Sausalito Sister Cities participated in the Fourth of July Parade.
2010 was the 50th Year Anniversary of the Sausalito and Viña del Mar Sister City Relationship, which started in 1960.
In 2012, then-Sausalito Mayor Herb Weiner traveled to Viña del Mar for a special ceremony in Parque Sausalito where a plaque was dedicated commemorating the sister city relationship. Since then, Sausalito has hosted dignitaries from Viña del Mar, and local delegates from Sausalito have made several trips to Viña del Mar. We have developed a strong relationship with AGEP, a women’s business group based in Viña del Mar and Valparaiso. And as part of our artist exchange, German von Appen from Chile was invited to exhibit at the 2013 Sausalito Art Festival. Plans are now underway to develop an exchange program to bring more artists from Viña del Mar to Sausalito as well as showcasing Sausalito
In 1960, Sausalito and Viña del Mar became sister cities. Due to the Chilean Politics under the leadership of Pinochet, the US State Department suggested that Americans not travel to Chile. During this time, the country was ruled by a military junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet. The military used the breakdown of democracy and the economic crisis that took place during Allende’s presidency to justify its seizure of power. The dictatorship presented its mission as a “national reconstruction.”
To honor this relationship, Sausalito’s main square was named Viña del Mar Plaza. Viña del Mar in return, named its soccer stadium Estadio Sausalito. The huge stadium is adjacent to Parque Sausalito, in the neighborhood called Sausalito.
In 1968, renowned Chilean sculptor Sergio Castillo, a native of Viña del Mar, donated a sculpture to Sausalito called “La Hermandad” which means sisterhood in Spanish. It was recently refurbished and stands today in Gabrielson Park along the Sausalito waterfront.
