It's been quite the (blue and white) year!
Although the Finlandia Foundation of Montana (FFM) was established less than a year ago, we have already seen success as a young organization. It has been very rewarding for us getting to know some of the Scandinavian and Finnish people here in Missoula, as well as all of the Americans in town who have some connection to Finland or Scandinavia. There are so many of you! Now that the Nordic countries are not only trendier than ever, but also some of the most revered in the world, we know there is certainly demand and space for an organization like the FFM in Missoula. We are committed to bringing you Nordic culture, innovation, and ideas for building better, more culturally diverse communities. Much of our 2017 went in observance of the Finnish Centennial, beginning with the Traveling Sauna, and ending with an amazing dinner with our friends at Burns Street Bistro. These celebrations are behind us, we look forward to new and exciting events in the upcoming year. Some highlights of the past year include:
- Hosting the incredible Traveling Sauna here in Missoula
- Representing the FFM and Nordic countries at the International Fair at the University of Montana
- Celebrating May Day in the park
- A Danish fiddle concert in collaboration with our friends Kristian Bugge, Martin Høirup, and Jaime Fox
- Meeting up with Maria Annala, a Finnish journalist, to talk about our Baby Box initiative (Read the article in Finnish here)
- Nordic Brunch with our friends at Burns Street Bistro
- Hosting an event for the Nordic exchange students in Missoula
- Celebrating the Finnish Independence Centennial with Nordic fare made by the inimitable folks at Burns Street Bistro
And finally, we rounded out the year by celebrating Finnish Independence Day outside of the Missoula Art Museum, at the Art Park, with a full Finnish flag, warm mulled wine, and lots of Finnish tunes. What a fantastic 2017! Here are some photos from our year, from the above-mentioned events:
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