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Date: 3/17/2022
HOLYOKE – Mayor Joshua Garcia has reached out to Holyoke’s sister city in Ukraine with a letter of support.
Garcia wrote last week Svalyava Mayor Ivan Lanyo, “As Mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, Svalyava’s sister city, please accept my heartfelt support, concern and affection during this most difficult time for your city and country.
“Be assured that the people of Holyoke, along with the citizens of Massachusetts and the entire United States, stand with you during this darkest hour.
“You are in our thoughts and prayers. We will remain deeply concerned until justice and decency are once again the natural state in Ukraine.”
When asked if the mayor has plans for any effort to help the city and its residents, his spokesperson Stephen Fay told Reminder Publishing, “At the moment, the mayor does not have plans to undertake or participate in a specific humanitarian effort to assist our sister city. That could change if and when he hears back from the mayor of Svalyava.”
Founded in the 12th Century, Svalyava is a city with just over 17,000. It is located in the western region of the country and is close to the borders of Slovakia and Hungary.
Checking current media reports, the war waged by Russia on the country has not yet reached the small city.
According to Fay the relationship between the two cities came about after a trip in 1997 made by former Holyoke Mayor Daniel J. Szostkiewicz in 1997. He noted, “He was being driven through Western Ukraine when he observed an activity that sent him right back to the Paper City: volleyball.”
In a 2014 interview Szostkiewicz said, “They had set up in a backyard and they were playing volleyball, the sport invented in Holyoke.” He added in the interview the residents “were some of the nicest, most respectful people I’ve ever met.”
Holyoke also has sister city relationships with Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, and Salinas, Puerto Rico.