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The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law celebrated Chimarrão Day a little early on April 18 because of final exams. But Judge Aline Doral Stefani Fagundes and her husband, Judge Renato Barros Fagundes, both of whom are from Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, wanted to celebrate the sister-state relationship Indiana has had with their home since 1965. Chimarrão Day is typically commemorated on April 24 in Rio Grande do Sul.

Indiana has been a sister state with the state in the southernmost region of Brazil since January 18, 1965. Rio Grande do Sul is the fifth most populous state in Brazil, and its capital is Porto Alegre. The drink, chimarrão, is made from erva-mate, a species of holly native to the region.

“I think the partnership between Indiana and Rio Grande do Sul is something we need to celebrate and preserve,” Fagundes said. She is a federal judge at labor court in Brazil, a post she has held since 2005. “I see this event as an excellent opportunity to spread the name of our law school abroad and to bring a little bit of the culture of Rio Grande do Sul to Indiana.” The couple commissioned the artist, Gusco, who also is from Rio Grande do Sul, to create a piece of art to mark the occasion. The art incorporates prominent locations in both Indianapolis and Porto Alegre. Word of the celebration at IU McKinney is making in newspapers in Rio Grande do Sul and throughout Brazil.

In the photo from left are Renato Fagundes; Associate Dean Karen Bravo, who is holding a chimarrão gourd; Aline Fagundes, acting president of the Partners of the Americas Jhani Laupus, ’99; and Diego Morales, who represented Governor Mike Pence, ’86, at the event. Helping to hold the artwork is Martina Fagundes.