Holyoke and Salinas, Puerto Rico, to play friendly match of volleyball on island

HOLYOKE — When Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia proposed a friendly volleyball match to the mayor of Salinas, Puerto Rico, Karilyn Bonilla Colon, last summer, it sparked more than just a game — it launched a cross-cultural exchange now gaining momentum with community support and corporate backing.

The initiative, which began as a casual idea during Bonilla Colon’s visit to Holyoke to attend the annual Fiestas Patronales de Holyoke, has evolved into a formal sister city challenge.

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With a $10,000 donation from Casella Waste Systems and growing interest from local leaders, the event aims to strengthen ties between the two communities through sport, tourism, and shared heritage.

“This is about more than volleyball,” Garcia said. “It’s about building bridges —between people, between cultures, and between cities that share a deep history and a bright future.”

Municipal leaders and community members will represent both cities on the volleyball court. Fittingly, the team will be coached by George Mulry, executive director of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, located in Holyoke — the birthplace of the sport.

The event will take turns between Holyoke and Salinas each year. The first match is set for September in Salinas.

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Alongside the match, participants will tour Salinas’ cultural sites, which could inspire similar efforts in Holyoke, Garcia said. The city recently created a Puerto Rican Cultural District near Main Street.

With six players plus a coach, flights, lodging and a rental car will cost about $22,323, according to an estimate from expedia.com. Garcia said the cost and other details are still being worked on, and that the city is not paying for the trip.

More details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks, he said.

This story has been updated.

Read the original article on MassLive.