Puerto Vallarta Sister City Reaffirmation Celebration

By Bonnie Carroll

During the recent reaffirmation celebration week, a delegation of Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee Members and VIP guests from Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee received a special blessing by Father Joe following Mass and Communion at the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara. The Puerto Vallarta delegation are visiting to celebrate 50 years as Sister City Members and to reaffirm their commitment as a Santa Barbara sister city. The Santa Barbara committee members hosted tours, parties and provided VIP introductions for the delegation during their week-long visit.

The finale of the many hosted dinners, parties, and tours was the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Reaffirmation Ceremony in the Santa Barbara City Hall before a huge crowd of Puerto Vallarta VIP’s and Santa Barbara Sister City committee members, where Mayor Randy Rowse welcomed all and shared how pleased he was they visited Santa Barbara and how much he looked forward to visit Puerto Vallarta. Pat Fallin, Chair of Sister Cities Board in Santa Barbara, welcomed guests and praised the fine work done by all the members over the past fifty years.

A bevy of proclamations changed hands in the historic Santa Barbara council chambers, Emanuel Gallego from the Office of the Consul of Mexico presented certificates of recognition. Irma Lorena Perez Coultas, President of the Puerto Vallarta-Santa Barbara Sister Cities shared her thanks and sense of purpose collaborating with Sister Cities, Sebastian Aldana, President of Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities expressed his pride in working with Sister Cities and his gratitude for all the Puerta Vallarta member contributions. Mayor Rowse then proudly signed the Reaffirmation Documents for the City of Santa Barbara and Raul Coultas, the immediate past President of the Puerto Vallarta group signed for Mayor Rodriguez of Puerto Vallarta who was unable to attend do to Covid in his family.

Mayor Randy Rowse signed the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities 2022 Reaffirmation Documents. (Photo by Bonnie Carroll)

Following the Reaffirmation Ceremony Sister Cities members shared a delicious City of Santa Barbara hosted Mexican lunch by Mayos Carniceria & Tacos, a local Santa Barbara restaurant. Commemorative gifts were exchanged, and the Sister City Executive Board Members were all recognized.

Santa Barbara, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, are celebrating a cohesive and productive relationship of fifty years in 2022. This long-lasting relationship has had fruitful projects and exchanges during their time as sister cities, and they continually work to keep their bond strong, from educational programs to health initiatives. 

Santa Barbara and Puerto Vallarta implement a variety of programs to improve their communities. They have jointly supported the Puerto Vallarta Rehabilitation Clinic since its inception in the 1980s, the Volcanes/Puerto Vallarta Sewing School, the Tomatlan Health Clinic, along with 19 years of Law Enforcement Exchanges with support provided to the Puerto Vallarta Police Academy, and a partnership with the International Firefighters Training Association (IFTA). For 16 years they have supported the I. Madonnari Street painting festival in Santa Barbara and assisted in creating a similar festival in Puerto Vallarta. They actively support the Sister Cities International Young Artists and Author Showcase (YAAS) and they also hold Annual Adult Visitation Exchanges between Santa Barbara and Puerto Vallarta. 

The Santa Barbara, California and Puerto Vallarta, México Sister Cities and the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North assisted the Volances Food Bank in Puerto Vallarta during their COVID-19 crisis. In April, the two Sister Cities and the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara made a very generous donation to the food bank which went towards preparing food bags for 400 families. For information or donations please visit: www.sbpvsistercity.org.

Participants in the Santa Barbara – Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Reaffirmation Ceremony:

Emanuel Gallegos, Representative Office of Consul of Mexico, Sebastian Aldana, 2022 President SB/PV Sister City Committee, Irma Coultas, President PV/SB Sister City Committee Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, Raul Coultas, Past President PV/SB representing the Mayor Rodriguez of Puerto Vallarta. Photo by Bonnie Carroll