On Saturday, Dec. 13, the City of Wichita will host a five-member delegation from Orleans, France. The delegation from Wichita’s Sister City will be in town to celebrate the official commemoration and signing of documents acknowledging 30 years of continuing friendship between the two cities.
The bond of friendship between Wichita and Orleans goes back almost 60 years to Aug. 19, 1944, when the 137th Infantry from Kansas 35th Division liberated the people of Orleans from Nazi occupation. Orleans is a strong memory in the minds of our veterans. They will never forget this dramatic event at the end of our world’s darkest moment. That event, however, was the beginning of a people-to-people friendship that remains strong today.
It was 1973 that a formal resolution was signed, when both cities pledged continued cultural, educational and economic interchanges.
The delegation will be in Wichita from Dec. 13-18, to visit and experience the true friendship of our City. The itinerary for their visit is full and they will visit many sites while in Wichita.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Wichita City Council will celebrate the international interchange with the official public signing of the agreement during the City Council meeting.
For more information, contact: Jeanne Goodvin, Special Projects Director, 268-4351.