HR0413 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0413 LRB102 19181 LAW 27946 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the citizens of Rockford and Ferentino, Italy on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of their sister city partnership; and

WHEREAS, Rockford has a substantial Italian American population that celebrates its ancestral heritage, including many families and individuals that tie their ancestral roots to Ferentino, an ancient hill town southeast of Rome; and

WHEREAS, Immigrants to Rockford from Ferentino founded the Society of Saint Ambrogio Martyr Mutual Benefit Society (Saint Ambrogio Society) in 1918, which is still in active operation today; and

WHEREAS, Efforts to create an Italian sister city to Rockford began in 2005 through family ties between the DeCastris and Giorgi families in both Rockford and Ferentino, leading to robust community efforts to formalize the lasting connections that have linked the people of Rockford and Ferentino for over a century; and

WHEREAS, The Italian Sister City Committee was formed in Rockford in 2005 to facilitate the ongoing communication between citizens and officials from Rockford and Ferentino to promote and support a sister city agreement between the two cities; and

WHEREAS, A delegation of nine public officials from the Ferentino City Council and the Pro Loco Association visited Rockford for a week in May 2006, where they took part in several official meetings and activities that culminated in the signing of a sister city agreement by Mayor Larry Morrissey of Rockford and Mayor Piergianni Fiorletta of Ferentino at Rockford City Hall on May 15, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Italian sister city activities have included international exchanges, student pen pal programs, peace pole installations in Rockford and Ferentino, gift exchanges, creation of the Italian Sister City garden and plaque at Rockford's Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, participation in the Rockford Sister Cities Advisory Commission, and cultural displays at the Rockford and Ferentino City Halls, and at Rockford's Festa Italiana, Midway Village Museum, and Ethnic Heritage Museum; and

WHEREAS, The 15th anniversary of this historic event is being celebrated this year with several commemorative activities undertaken by the Rockford Italian Sister Cities Alliance (RISCA) in conjunction with the Greater Rockford Italian American Association (GRIAA); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the citizens of Rockford and Ferentino, Italy on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of their sister city partnership; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the cities of Rockford and Ferentino and representatives of the RISCA and GRIAA organizations as an expression of our esteem and respect.