By Tommy Flanagan
This October, FAR turns 40 years old — a milestone that makes us very proud. In addition to a few other exciting plans, we’re celebrating by turning the spotlight on what makes FAR, and indeed, FFN, possible — you!
We need you, our readers and friends, to nominate the unsung heroes from your corner of Finnish America for our “Featured Finn ” series that’ll debut this fall. We all know someone who deserves recognition for what they do behind the scenes, without fanfare. We’re not looking to further spotlight our “ celebrities ” like Kimi Räikkönen, Alexander Stubb or Paavo Nurmi. This feature is for those people in your communities who we ought to know, like the chapter leader who’s been baking pulla for your events for the last 25 years without fail or complaint. We’d like to feature that neighbor who grew up in Finland and holds a city record in a sport but never really talks about it. Or how about your great aunt who led a significant fundraising effort decades ago to save the roof on your local Finn hall – a hall that’s still a community landmark today.
These are the kinds of people we want to feature. The ones among us who make our community special without ever saying it. The reason we exist is community. And we know our community is filled with impressive individuals, amazing achievements and inspiring stories. We also know that our community is laden with a healthy dose of Finnish modesty. We Finns and Finnish-Americans prefer not to sing our own praises; instead we do our jobs well and quietly, and shy away from the camera. We know that among our community members, there are stories worth telling.
Here is how you nominate: Send an email to Managing Editor Dave Maki at david. maki @ finlandiafoundation.org or to office @ finlandiafoundation.com with subject line “FFN Featured Finn.” Include the following information in the email: 1. The full name of the person you are nominating 2. The hometown and state of the nominee 3. Email address and other contact information for the nominee 4. To which Finlandia Foundation Chapter or other Finnish-American organization (s) does this person belong? 5. Write 250-750 words explaining “Why this person should be a Featured Finn.” 6. If available, include a JPG photo (at least 300 dpi resolution) of the person being nominated; candid photos are preferred, though portraits are acceptable. A member of our team will reach out to you for more information if they are selected for the Featured Finn series.
You can nominate more than one person. The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2026. We will highlight these selected Featured Finns in upcoming editions of the FAR. Thank you for helping us tell these yet untold stories.