Roselle Park became a sister city with Arpino, Italy in 2016. Now the two towns are working together to spread hope during the coronavirus pandemic.

Roselle Park is more than 4,000 miles away from Arpino. But the town is taking part in Italy’s Andra Tutto Bene campaign.

“It was a campaign in Italy that just took off by people writing ‘Everything will be OK – Andra Tutto Bene’ with rainbows and in essence they were communicating with their other fellow Italians,” says Roselle Park Councilman Joseph Delorio. “We’ve taken it a step further by incorporating the sister city relationship.”

Delorio, who has family in Arpino, says that the initiative asks parents and children from both countries to draw a rainbow with the words ‘Andra Tutto Bene’ and include Arpino, Italy and Roselle Park, New Jersey in their artwork.

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“So, when people see it, they’re not just seeing a rainbow and hope. But they’re also seeing that there is a relationship and that we do care about our fellow human beings over in another country,” the councilman says.

 

The artwork has been displayed on posters, windows, social media and even drawn in chalk on sidewalls in the town. Arpino Mayor Renato Rea even sent a video message to the residents of Roselle Park to thank them for taking part in the project.

“I want to give our best greetings to our friends in Roselle Park,” the mayor said. “We truly appreciate your empathy and friendliness.”

Delorio says that the initiative is a way to connect the children in both towns together during the pandemic.

“It’s a learning lesson that we should teach our children how to care for others. This is a way that we could do that,” he says.

DeIorio says that he hopes the bond between Roselle Park and Arpino will inspire more New Jersey cities to create sister city relationship with other places across the world.

Anyone who would like to get involved in the project can do so by emailing rosellepark247@gmail.com.