In Finland, June 23 is a major celebration when Finns mark Midsummer. It's a national holiday there, and is often seen as the beginning of warm summer weather.
Closer to home, Finlandia Village will be celebrating that day as well, but festivities will include something a little different.
For the first time, Finlandia Village is hosting its Nickel Ball Drop. It's a fundraising campaign to help pay for upgrades to the facility's existing bathing area for residents.
Executive Director David Munch called the current bathing area “institutional,” and the idea is to replace the four tubs with more modern-looking and less intimidating tubs.
“We want it to be a more homelike atmosphere for all of our residents,” said Munch.
The SISU Nickel Ball Drop takes place June 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Bell Park. People purchase a ticket, and each ticket has a corresponding golf ball marked with a number. On the big day, those golf balls will be dropped from a firetruck's ladder, and the ball that goes in the hole will win $15,000.
There will also be other activities taking place that day to celebrate the importance of June 23 to the Finnish culture.
Tickets are $50 each and are currently being sold at Ramakko's Source for Sports and Finlandia Village.
