Prakash Swamy
TEXAS: The city of San Antonio, Texas, donated $10,000 to Chennai for COVID-19 relief as a gesture of solidarity with its sister city.
Members of the Rotary Club of San Antonio donated $5,000 to the Rotary Club of Madras East as a token of the sister city’s support during this unprecedented time. Anuja SA, a non-profit organization created to promote the Sister City alliance between San Antonio and Chennai, donated $5,000 to double the total donation to $10,000.
Consul General for South India Ms Judith Ravin said, “It is wonderful to witness two global communities come together through the Sister Cities program in times of need. While the global pandemic continues to cause uncertainty, it is precisely in these times that we are reminded we are all in this together.”
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg in a message of support to Chennai said: “The past year has united us in a shared fight against a pandemic that has brought devastating loss to both of our communities.” He added: “San Antonio stands in support of those who are affected by the ongoing crisis in India. We have heard stories of the truly heroic actions of your health care workers, volunteers, friends, and family members who are working tirelessly to care for their neighbors and communities.”
“We understand the toll that this virus has taken first hand, and we admire and respect such devotion and care. It is through this commitment that the crisis will be overcome. The relationship between Chennai and San Antonio is an important one and we are confident that we will continue to work together to fight COVID-19,” he said.
The cities of Chennai and San Antonio signed a Sister City International agreement in 2008 to deepen cooperation between the two cities in trade, investment, and culture. For more than a dozen years, San Antonio has celebrated the Indian festival of Deepavali.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower started the Sister Cities International (SCI) national initiative shortly after World War II, to develop economic, cultural, and technical exchanges between U.S. cities, counties, and states with corresponding communities worldwide. The goal of the Sister Cities program is to involve people and organized groups at all levels of society, establishing productive, people-to-people relationships through global community partnerships and volunteer action. The SCI network unites tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers in nearly 500 member communities, with over 2,000 partnerships in more than 140 countries.
