VIPR Friendship celebration to meld culture, traditions of two U.S. territories

ST. CROIX — Celebratory activities for Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Friendship are set to kick off Thursday with a gospel night.

An awards night, Family Fun Day and of course, a four-day Friendship Village featuring local and Latin music as well as V.I. and Puerto Rico cuisine are also in store for residents. The VIPR Friendship observance is being held amid the wider celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month —from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.— with Oct. 14 celebrated as Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Friendship Day, which is a local holiday.

The holiday was created in 1964 in recognition of the unique relationship between the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico — which, at the time, was the source of the largest immigrant community in the territory, especially on St. Croix. St. Croix Administrator Sammuel Sanes said the sacrifices made decades ago by Puerto Rican families who moved to St. Croix for a better life have also been an integral part of the development and rich heritage of the island and the territory as a whole.