Tinley Sister City Faces Flooding Crisis, Asks Residents For Help

TINLEY PARK, IL — The Village Of Tinley Park has received reports of devastating flooding in the village’s sister city of Büdingen, Germany. Tinley is now looking for donations from residents to aid in relief.

According to the village, the Sister Cities Commission is a nationwide initiative to exchange ideas, develop business ties and establish friendships between communities in the U.S. and those across the world. Büdingen is located about 30 miles northeast of Frankfurt in Germany and traces its origins to the mid-13th century. The village said it also enjoys its relationships with sister cities in Mallow, Ireland and Nowy Sacz, Poland.

The village said it, along with the Sister Cities Commission and Tinley Park residents are keeping Büdingen in their thoughts as clean-up progresses throughout the city.

"Residents of Büdingen assisted Tinley Park by making a $10,000 donation to help us house victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and we're honored to do our part to help them out in return," said Tinley Park Mayor Jacob Vandenberg. "Love and kindness know no borders – we get what we give, and this is no exception."

According to the village, Büdingen's rich cultural history has been "a fascinating study" for the hundreds of residents, municipal officials and business people, who have traveled to Büdingen since 1989. The village said local "natives" have showed off the village and related its history to more than 500 visitors from Büdingen. A contingent of almost 80 people from Büdingen recently spent two weeks here, the village said. Tinley Park said it has hosted one of the largest number of citizen "exchanges" of any Sister Cities international participant in the United States.

The village said that residents who would like to send a donation to help can mail a check with "Sister City Relief Donation" in the Memo line. Checks must be made payable to:

Village of Tinley Park
16250 Oak Park Avenue
Tinley Park, IL 60477-1600

For more information, visit the village's website, here.