Guadalajara, Downey mark 50 years

DOWNEY - Dignitaries from the city of Guadalajara, Mexico will arrive in Downey this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of sister city affiliation between the two cities.The dignitaries will be greeted Aug. 18 with a welcoming ceremony at City Hall before touring the city's historic sites and taking part in a special program at the Columbia Memorial Space Center. Lunch will be held at Discovery Sports Complex before a formal reception dinner at the Rio Hondo Event Center. The public is invited to the park lunch to mingle with officials from Downey and Guadalajara. The dinner is also open to the public. Tickets are $50 and available by calling (562) 904-1895. The Downey Sister Cities Association was established under President Eisenhower's "People to People" program with the goal of promoting peace between Americans and people of other nations. Downey was the first American city to establish a sister city, establishing an affiliation with Guadalajara on Aug. 26, 1960. Since then the two cities have participated in educational, business and cultural exchanges, and Downey firefighters helped establish the first paramedic program in the state of Jalisco. Downey firefighters have also traveled to Jalisco to provide training in earthquake preparedness, and to donate medical equipment and supplies. In addition to Guadalajara, Downey also has sister city affiliations with Valle of San Quintin, Baja California Mexico; Ensenada, Mexico; Fresnillo Zacatecas, Mexico; and Alajuela, Costa Rica. For more information on the anniversary event, call the city at (562) 904-1895.

********** Published: August 5, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 16