Midsummer outing at Vasa Park! If you did not come Saturday, June 26th, to Vasa Park in NJ to celebrate Midsummer with other Scandinavians
- you missed a lot!
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This beautiful park is really ideal for this kind of event where big trees give shade to the picnic tables and booths for vendors. Finlandia Foundation booth was under a tent cover near the entrance and we had a nice picnic area with tables and Finnish banners where we were tasting food offerings like pancakes, pea soup, ice cream, hot dogs, beer, etc.
Scandinavian American Heritage Society (SAHS) had arranged a lot of nice programs like flag parade, folk dancing round the Maypole, Rolf Stang as Viking entertained children, violinist Helina Pakola and pianist Hilpi Kantola performed (they later showed their film Kalevala for Young People inside in the Cultural Center) etc.
Later that evening, during the dinner dance inside, we enjoyed Swedish meatballs, dancing or at least seeing others dance to the nice SAHS band; for us the highlight was the fantastic singer Titti Sjoblom (daughter of Alice Babs - and if you do not know who she was, don't' worry - many young Finns did not know either who Armi Kuusela was!) and her guitarist husband performing. At the raffle drawing by SAHS Anneli Alperin won a dinner for two on the World Yacht, while the main prize was airline tickets to Scandinavia.
Maybe some 40 Finns attended the event, in addition to all the other Scandinavians. The Alvar Aalto vase was raffled from 21 names and the winner was Mr. Tom Thuren of Succasunna, NJ, who will have the vase sent to him.
We came home tired but very happy after such a nice day!
Hilkka Kosinsky
Click here to view photos from the Vasa Park! |
Finlandia Foundation: Gala Dinner Dance 2010
The annual Finlandia Foundation (NY chapter) Gala Dinner Dance was held March 12 at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel. The evening honored former Finnish president and 2008 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize Martti Ahtisaari. He was presented the Arts & Letters award by Finlandia Foundation Metropolitan Chapter president Tarja Silverman, after an introduction by Columbia University's Finnish Program trailblazer Aili Flint.
Master of Ceremonies for the event was the Finnish American Lawyer's Association own Robert Alan Saasto. Entertainment was provided by soprano Sirkka Lampimaki, who performed selections from Sibelius, Mozart and even West Side Story, accompanied by pianist Juho Pohjonen. Stay turned for my full and detailed write-up of the event in the upcoming issue of the Finnish-American Reporter. In the meantime, please enjoy the photos from the evening!
Text: Diane Saarinen
Click here to see the photogallery!
Gala was Sponsored by (random order):
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Photo Galleries from our past events:
Christmas Party "Pikkujoulu" December 11, 2009
Independence Day Celebration December 6, 2009
Marimekko Night with FAWN May 2009
Awards Gala 2009
November 11, 2009:
Architect Der Scutt , FAIA gave a presentation on Eero Saarinen: Form-Giver at Mid-Century” Celebrating
the opening of the exhibition at the Museum of
the City of New York: Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future.
The event was organized in collaboration with the American Scandinavian Society. "The Volvo" in the Scandinavian House was totally full of guests who enjoyed Der Scutt's great presentation on more insight to the life of Eero Saarinen and in depth look at architectural design in general.
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From the left:
Tarja Silverman, President of Finlandia Foundation
Der Scutt, FAIA, Presenter
Eric Saarinen, Son of Eero Saarinen
Vibeke Steineger, President of American Scandivian Society
Susan Saarinen, Daughter of Eero Saarinen |
