Hanover Park Wins Illinois Sister City of the Year Award

The 2024 Illinois Sister City of the Year Award was presented to Hanover Park, with a population of 37,000. Hanover Park maintains partnerships with Ghana, West Africa and Zacatecas, Mexico. The excellence of their program and high levels of community involvement and City support exemplify how Sister Cities Programs build links of international friendship while enriching the entire community. 

Trustee Herb Porter, Chair Pamela Fowler, Darius Robinson, Theresa Smith-Waits, and Chief Frank Grant Acquah accepted the award on behalf of Village President Rodney S. Craig at the Illinois Sister Cities Association Conference held in Hoffman Estates on June 8^th, 2024.

Among the many outstanding programs/events the Hanover Park Sister Cities Committee sponsors is a Black History Month event. The event featured a History Through Genealogy presentation by guest speaker & author, Eric A. Smith; a "Storytelling" presentation by Poet Lauerate, Chasity Gunn; a group singing of the Black National Anthem; drawings for doorprizes; and a presentation of books to local libraries.

The Committee also hosts a Juneteenth Jubilee. The event features live music; dance and jump rope demonstrations; food trucks; vendors selling assorted goods and dispensing information on services; activities for children; and 50/50 raffle. This year’s Juneteenth Jubilee will be on June 15^th from noon to 5PM at the Hanover Park Sports Complex.

The Village of Hanover Park strongly supports its Sister Cities Program. Sister Cities Committee monthly meeting dates are published on the Village website and via the Village’s eNewsletter, a bi-monthly printed publication delivered to each household in the village, and also available as a download from the Village website. Special events are promoted on the Village website.

The Sister Cities Movement was founded as a Presidential Initiative by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. There are over 1,800 partnerships in more than 138 countries on six continents. The Sister City network unites tens of thousands of citizen diplomats and volunteers who work tirelessly to promote the mission of creating world peace and understanding through people to people programs and exchanges.