The Flintrock Range Association of Grand Marais received a $14,100 grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) to complete the construction and begin operating its shooting and archery range facility.
On February 20, IRRR announced that it had awarded $504,000 in Culture and Tourism grants to 25 projects in our region. IRRR invests approximately $600,000 annually in the grant program to assist projects supporting arts, culture, history, tourism, and recreational activities.
According to IRRR, the Flintrock award will add new and ADA-compliant shooting benches, skeet shooting machines, covered shooting structures, picnic tables, trash receptacles, and signage at the Flintlock Sports Park.
“We are grateful for the support from IRRR, which will allow us to enhance the range and provide a safer, more accessible experience for individuals,” said Justin Rexrode, president of the Flintlock Range Association.
The Flintlock Range Association not only promotes safe and responsible shooting and archery activities but also contributes to a culture of skill development and education for beginners and seasoned individuals. The new range will serve as a valuable resource for area residents, visitors, and law enforcement training, providing a platform for learning and growth in the field of shooting and archery.
Cook County High School students and Shop Teacher Jordy Kirk will construct the picnic tables and shooting benches this school year. For more information about the Flintlock Range Association and its shooting and archery range, contact Justin Rexrode at flintlockrange@gmail.com.
Get Ready for the 50th Annual St Urho’s Celebration!
St Urho Committee
St Urho’s 50th Annual event is coming fast! The theme is St Urho’s Golden Year: 50 Years of Grasshoppers and Grapes. Lots of fun activities are in store. We are hoping to see you all here in Finland Minnesota, March 14,15 and 16th!
The Passport Game is now the Yearbook Game!
In the leadup to the big weekend, we will be playing the Passport Game again, but we are calling it the Yearbook Game to celebrate 50 years of grasshoppers and grapes! Starting March 3rd, you can stop by the Finland Co-op or the Clair Nelson Center to pick up your very own yearbook, then travel around the area to get your yearbook stamped at local area businesses. You will get a list of participating businesses with your yearbook. Your goal is to get more than 10 stamps in your yearbook to be entered in a drawing with cash prizes. Bring your yearbook to the Raffle ticket drawing by 3pm on March 16th at Our Place Inc. in Finland Minnesota. Yearbooks will be entered into one of 3 drawings, depending on how many stamps they have. Cash prizes for the drawings vary from between $50 – $150. We encourage you to make a purchase when you visit participating businesses. Support the local businesses that support all of us!
St Urho Float Workshop is back March 7th, 8th, & 9th!
The St Urho Float Workshop is back this year on March 7th, 8th & 9th, 11am-3pm at the Clair Nelson Center in Finland. Join us as we build our own floats in preparation for St Urho’s parade at noon on March 15th!
Our plan for the group project community float is to rebuild the St Urho Family Tree and decorate it together. Who should be featured in the St Urho Family Tree? We’d like to include portraits of prominent Finlanders from the last 100 years or so – or any other folks who have helped make our St Urho’s Celebration or our community a better place and have since passed on. Your imagination is the limit here. Bring us copies of photos, drawings, or portraits and we will incorporate them into the tree, or you can make your own large-size versions to hang or attach to the tree as ornaments. We still have the photos from the 2023 Urho Family Tree that we will be using but we don’t want to miss anyone.
We will also be constructing a giant grasshopper for the Finland Community Youth Program float! We will need brown paper bags as we will be paper macheing the family tree and other items. There will also be painting and sign making to be done. We could use your help! Anyone is also welcome to come and work on their own float or costume project – some materials will be provided.
Refreshments will be served at the workshop. All float-building and craft skill levels are welcome!
For questions about the Float Workshop, please call Arlene at 218-353-0300.
More fun activities than ever for the big weekend!
Along with the favorites from every year, plans are in the works for some fun extras for the 50th Annual event. Starting at 8pm on the evening of Saturday March 15th, there will be fireworks from the ballfield at the Clair Nelson Center. There will also be a bonfire and s’mores near the field for folks who want to come enjoy the fireworks show. Bring the whole family!
More info and a full schedule of events will be released soon! Check www.facebook.com/sturho to stay up to date!
