Yesterday, the City of Morgantown received a donation of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) from its Sister City, Xuzhou, China. The donation includes 20,000 FDA certified face masks, 500 surgical gowns, and 300 face goggles.
“This accomplishment demonstrated patience and persistence to bring about the project’s success in cooperation with our Xuzhou Sister City, particularly in these difficult times,” said Morgantown Sister Cities Commission Chair George Lies.
On July 12, the Morgantown Sister Cities Commission received an offer of medical supplies from officials in Xuzhou. The donation took 30 days to get through China’s postal system, be shipped overseas, and get through U.S. Customs. The City of Morgantown provided a Letter of Acknowledgement of the donation to U.S. Customs to show it was not a business deal. Xuzhou paid for all shipping costs of the PPE, which will be distributed among essential workers in the county based on areas it is most needed.
The donation comes as an act of friendship between the cities. Through the Sister Cities Commission, the City of Morgantown established a “Sister Cities” relationship with Xuzhou, Quanshan District, in China’s Jiangsu Province in 2016, after holding a “Friendship City” status since 2012.
Morgantown’s Sister Cities Commission is part of a much larger network that falls under the auspices of Sister Cities International. It involves more than 2,500 communities in 126 countries of the world. The mission of the Sister Cities Program is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation - one individual, one community at a time. The program strives to promote friendship, goodwill, and cooperation through cultural exchanges between different places.
Image of package and items that were received from Xuzhou.
Image of sign placed on outside of package.