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The following press release was issued by the FinnFest USA 2013 Committee:
HANCOCK — FinnFest USA 2013 has officially dissolved as a corporation, but in its final actions the board of directors of that festival ensured that its legacy will have a positive impact on the Copper Country for decades.
In a unanimous vote at a meeting in early March, the board opted to allocate its remaining revenue to three Finnish-American organizations — the Kivajat Dancers, the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce, and the Finnish American Folk School at Finlandia University’s Finnish American Heritage Center.
The Kivajat Dancers were given a $5,000 matching gift to aid the troupe in its fundraising efforts to travel to Finland this June; the group was invited to take part in an international dance festival in the city of Turku. This will be the Kivajat’s third invited visit to the dance festival.
The Finnish American Chamber of Commerce was allocated $10,000 to aid in their continuing efforts to engage with and host Finnish companies that are seeking to make inroads to North America through Hancock and the surrounding area. Several companies have already expressed interest in locating their North American operations in the Copper Country, with several future visits by other companies currently in the planning stages. The Chamber of Commerce was a direct result of FinnFest 2013, emerging from that festival’s well-attended Business Forum.
The remainder of the FinnFest USA 2013 revenue – approximately $45,000 – was given to the Finnish American Folk School, which is a recently formed outreach program of Finlandia University’s Finnish American Heritage Center. In operation since 2017, the Folk School provides opportunities for local and regional Finnish culture enthusiasts to learn from masters in Finnish folk traditions, either from the region or from Finland, so these traditions will be continued and celebrated for future generations. The Folk School was begun through a generous grant by the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation; the FinnFest allocation allows the Folk School to ensure sustainability after the initial grant funding is expended.
These actions allowed FinnFest USA 2013’s board of directors to officially close as an organization. The group formed in late 2010, including representatives from Finlandia University, Michigan Tech University, the cities of Hancock and Houghton, the Keweenaw National Historical Park, as well as several other community organizations. Together with a cadre of volunteers, the board created and hosted a five-day festival that brought upwards of 10,000 people together for a week in June 2013 to celebrate Finnish-American life and culture.
