QuickTake:

Eugene has maintained a sister-city relationship with Kathmandu, Nepal, since 1975. After flooding and landslides recently struck the country, the nonprofit supporting the connection gathered in grief and remembered how somewhere distant can feel close to home.

In late August, deadly landslides hit Nepal’s mountainous country, along the southwestern border of China. This historic event resulted in catastrophic destruction, with more than 1,400 people killed and ongoing searches for an estimated 5,000 others. 

About a month later, additional fatal flooding in the same regions slowed relief efforts.

On the evening of Sept. 20, the Eugene-Kathmandu Sister City Association held a candlelight vigil for victims of the August disaster.

The association is the nonprofit supporting the tie between Eugene and the capital of Nepal, established in 1975 by Eugene mayor Les Anderson to promote peace, culture sharing and tourism between the two cities.

Eugene Mayor Knudson speaks at a vigil following the devastating flooding in Nepal as people set flowers and candles. Credit: Courtesy of Ken Beeson

Preeti Yonjon Feist, who moved to the United States from Nepal in 2006, sits on the organization’s board.

“It was really important we sat in our collective grief,” Feist, a hospice bereavement coordinator, said. “It was such a big thing, it felt sort of fake from here in the States, so it was imperative to remind folks it’s real.”

Fifty years since its start, the Eugene-Kathmandu Sister City Association is gaining attention with support from Mayor Kaarin Knudson. Celebrating the anniversary, she traveled to Nepal in March and spoke at the vigil before opening the floor to Feist.

“Grief isn’t personal; many times it occurs on an immense scale that stops us in our heels,” Feist said. “Grief has no boundaries. This complexity so many of us carry alone, so let’s hold space.”

Ken Beeson joined the organization about 10 years ago. He and his wife, Beth Eldridge, run their own nonprofit organization, the Kumari Project, which aims to empower and educate youth in Nepal through a safe house for at-risk children. The Kumari Project, which is not affiliated with Eugene-Kathmandu Sister City Association, is co-run by their Nepali daughter, Arun Storrs.

“We didn’t try to market the vigil as a big event. We didn’t want to distract from the reason we were there,” said Beeson, who is president of the Eugene-Kathmandu Sister City Association. “There was a solid turnout and anyone is always welcome, but we characterize many of our events for those with connection to Nepal.”

The association gets an annual $5,000 grant from the city of Eugene, which takes care of most expenses, except for a scholarship he helped create to support international Nepali students at the University of Oregon.

Mary Lou Vignola donated $50,000 to create the five-year scholarship in memory of her husband Frank Vignola. Started in 2024, it serves as “a testament to Frank’s lifelong commitment to education and his deep affection for Nepal.”

“The scholarship in Frank’s memory is fulfilling something he intended to establish,” said Vignola. “With Ken Beeson’s immeasurable help, it’s in place and helping to change a few lives.”

At the beginning of October, Beeson and Feist held an info table at DesiFest in Eugene to encourage interested people to get involved. Together, they share a goal of connecting with as many people as possible and expanding the board.

“If there are more people out there who might want to be part of our network, I’d love to talk with them,” Beeson said. “Our basic mission is to build friendship and connections between the citizens of Eugene and citizens of the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu.”