The Pasadena Sister Cities Committee Armenia Subcommittee received the The 2016 Sister Cities International Innovation Award for Humanitarian Assistance during the organization’s annual conference July 16 in Washington, D.C.

Vanadzor, Armenia, is one of Pasadena’s five sister cities. With the assistance of the Pasadena community and the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee, the Armenia Subcommittee raised funds to have heaters installed at Vanadzor Kindergartner School #3 to bring much needed warmth during harsh winters.

The project, completed in 2015, required gas lines leading to the school as well as several heaters. The total cost of the project was $5,000. Vanadzor Mayor Samvel Darbinyan assisted with coordination of the project and the school principal, Gohar Kocharyan, conveyed her thanks in a letter to the subcommittee.

Isabelle Warner, chair of the Pasadena Sister Cities Armenia Subcommittee, and Maggie Gihanian, vice chair, led the effort to see the project through from conception to fund-raising to completion.

The Pasadena Sister Cities Committee promotes an international relationship between Pasadena and its five sister cities – Ludwigshafen, Germany; Mishima, Japan; Järvenpää, Finland; Vanadzor, Armenia; and the Xicheng District of Beijing, China – through personal citizen visits, communication about the Pasadena community and promotion of active participation in professional and cultural exchanges.

For more information visit www.pasadenasistercities.org.