Finlandia Foundation National was founded by Yrjö A. Paloheimo on January 21, 1953 in Southern California. The idea to form an organization to nurture ties with Finland and promote a sense of Finnishness for younger generations in the U.S. was first conceived by Paloheimo in 1945. However, it took him eight years to gather enough interested individuals to form the first of the current 58 chapters in the national organization.

​ The Foundation’s mission is to promote Finnish-American culture in the United States and ancestral ties with Finland. The National Chapter celebrated its 60th anniversary in March 2013 in Pasadena, California.

The Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter was founded in 2010 and three of the founding members are still active and with the board: Tapio Holma, Asko Hamalainen, and Brend Hunt-Holma. FFSC serves as the local Finlandia Foundation chapter for Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties.

​​​​Upcoming Event

​Juhannus (Midsummer Celebration)

Saturday, June 24 from 3-7pm
Birch Bay State Park day use area S1
5105 Helweg Road, Blaine, Washington, 98230
The picnic shelter is the first one on the left when you cross Terrell Creek toward the camping area. See map below. There is ample parking along Helweg Road at the picnic shelter, but you will need to have a Discover pass or pay for parking ($10).
Activities for the day will include a talk on midsummer traditions across Europe by WWU professor Dr. Vajda, a campfire and picnic fare (hotdogs, salads, s'mores supplies). We ask for a $15 suggested donation for food. We have a banquet permit, so you can bring your own beer or wine to enjoy! We'll also have lawn games (Molkky anyone?) and the beach is a short walk away (low tide is at 4pm). We hope you can join us!

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Copyright © Finlandia Association Suomi Chapter - All Rights Reserved

​​Past Events

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Vappu (May Day) celebrated on
Sunday, April 30, 2023
The event was held at the lower, fully-enclosed pavilion at Fairhaven Park from 12:00 until 2:30.  All Finns, Finnish-Americans and friends of Finland were welcomed.  Refreshments were of the pot luck variety, and many people brought along their favorite Finnish or Nordic dishes which they shared with others. 

Very Successful Finnish Film Festival at the
FireHouse Arts and Events Center in Fairhaven
From Friday evening, February 3, until Sunday evening, February 5, our Finnish Film Festival was a tremendous success.  Roughly 250 people came to see 9 films and listen to a guest speaker talk about Tove Jansson.  The films ranged from full-length feature Finnish films to documentaries about Finland to shorter movies made by local Bellingham students in association with students in Finland.  Finnish snacks were available in addition to a variety of Finnish merchandise items for sale.  The event was a great time to learn more about Finland, its history, its culture and enjoy some famous Finnish movies.  Please click on the Film Festival link above e to see some photos of the event.

Our local Finnish Independence Day observance
Sunday, December 4, 2022
This year our local Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter held its Independence Day celebration at Lombardi's in Bellingham.  The buffet menu included mixed green salad, grilled salmon picatta or chicken marsala, garlic butter fettuccine, seasonal vegetables and house focaccia bread. It was great seeing over 20 people at this festive gathering.

Check out the December 2022 edition of Finnovations!

 See our Newsletters page for archived newsletters.

​Welcome to the Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter’s website! 
The Suomi Chapter serves Finns, Finnish Americans and friends of Finland in Whatcom, Skagit and Island Counties. Annual events include a Juhannus (“midsummer” summer solstice) celebration in June and a Finnish Independence Day celebration in December. We also hold our annual meeting for all members and interested parties in the spring. Check out our events page for more information.

Click the Donate button below to pay your annual dues or donate to Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter.

FFSC has been promoting both local and Finnish musicians since its foundation. Concerts have included jazz musician Olli Hirvonen, soprano Maria Mannisto, violinist Kati Valimaa, pianist Marja Kaisla, the Starry Night Quartet, Mt. Baker Youth Symphony, and the Wade King Singers. In 2017 Tapio Holma served as tour guide for the North Stars Chamber Orchestra on their visit to Finland as a part of the centennial celebration of Finland's independence from the USSR.

Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter

Music

Become a member!

Your annual dues help support FFSC's events and newsletter.

We want to hear from you!
Are you a Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter member or interested in joining us at any events? Do you read our newsletter? Are you a Finn, Finnish-American, or otherwise have a connection to Finland and are living in the Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan county area? We want to hear from you! Please take some time to fill out a questionnaire about our organization and how we can better serve you.

CONTACT US
​Let us know if you would like to join our email list, become a member or volunteer.
P.O. Box 2544, Bellingham, WA  98227
ffsuomi@gmail.com
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Everyone is encouraged to offer suggestions for future events that focus on Finnish culture, food, history, etc.  If you have ideas, please feel free to submit them to 
ffsuomi@gmail.com​

Single membership: $30
Family/Couple membership: $45
Supporting membership: $50
Lifetime membership: $300

Please click the Donate button above to pay by PayPal (or credit card). If you prefer, please fill out the membership application and mail to: 
Finlandia Foundation Suomi Chapter
P.O. Box 2544
Bellingham, WA 98227

Please email ffsuomi@gmail.com 
for other payment options or questions.