Winona International Friendship Association City of Winona

Winona has two sister cities in Misato, Japan, and Bytów, Poland. The Winona International Friendship Association (WIFA) was established in 2014 to coordinate student ambassador delegations with Misato, Japan. WIFA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors. 

Each year, WIFA accepts applications and interviews 8th-10th grade students who are interested in becoming ambassadors to Misato. Once selected, this group meets throughout the year to host the October Misato delegation in Winona, learn about the Japanese culture, and host fundraising events to offset their travel fees.

Sponsorships and donations are what allow this program to succeed. Without the generosity of business and individual donations, the students would be unable to make the trip to Japan. The cost for students to travel to Japan every year is about $75,000.

Please consider becoming a donor for the Winona International Friendship Association so we can continue to support the students in their efforts to travel to our friends around the world.