Rockville’s Sister City in Taiwan Donates 10,000 Surgical Masks

Yilan City, Rockville’s Taiwanese sister city, donated 10,000 surgical face masks Friday to help the city combat COVID-19.

The masks were donated by TECRO, an office tasked with developing relationships between Taiwan and the U.S., which oversees 11 offices nationwide. The equipment was presented in a donation ceremony and press conference held outside Rockville City Hall.

“These are really tough times all around,” said Drew Powell, president of Rockville’s sister city corporation. “Giving like this, it’s a very special thing and we’re very grateful.”

Masks will likely be distributed  to local nursing homes, the local volunteer fire department and police, Powell added.

Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton accepted the donation of behalf of the city. Members of the city council, including Monique Ashton and Mark Pierzchala, and representatives from both sister city corporations were also in attendance. Daniel Chou, TECRO’s director, spoke on behalf of the office’s representative, Stanley Kao.

The sister city program is organized by the Rockville Sister City Corporation, a nonprofit that aims to facilitate cultural relations between Rockville and its two sister cities – Yilan City and Pinneberg, Germany. The connection with Pinneberg spans more than sixty years.

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About Samantha Subin

Samantha Subin was a summer 2020 intern with Montgomery Community Media. At the time she was a rising senior at the University of Maryland, majoring in Multiplatform Journalism with a minor in General Business. Follow her on Twitter @samantha_subin

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