Provided photo Copper Country Finns and Friends crowned Oscar Heikkinen, President of Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum and Visit Keweenaw Organization, to reign over Hancock’s Heikinpäivä’s Events.

HANCOCK — Two officials were selected to recognize efforts to preserve and enhance Finnish American cultural life in Michigan’s Copper Country, and will oversee Hancock’s 26th Heikinpäivä’s events, which include riding atop the legendary “Big Louie” kicksled for next year’s upcoming Jan. 24 parade. Copper Country Finns and Friends crowned Oscar Heikkinen, President of Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum and Visit Keweenaw Organization, to reign over Hancock’s Heikinpäivä’s Events.

The 2026 Hankookin Heikkis (Heikkis of Hancock) were revealed during the annual Finnish Independence Day program earlier this month at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock. The pair will oversee the 26th Finnish-American celebration of winter, which was initially conceived by the City of Hancock’s Theme Committee, currently the Copper County Finns & Friends (CCFF) Chapter of Finlandia Foundation, and is still supported by the City of Hancock. This annual festival eases the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s dreary, long winter with lighthearted events influenced by Finnish traditions.

Jim Kurtti, CCFF president, stated, “Heikkis are selected for their efforts to foster Finnish culture provided by the selflessness of volunteers, as exemplified by Oscar’s decades spent preserving the Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum’s living history.” Kurtti added that this year the award also acknowledges Visit Keweenaw’s generous contributions to promoting Hancock’s designation as the 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture.

Hanka President Heikkinen stated that being selected is an exceptionally significant honor because his family name means he is a son of Hekki. Ed Raisanen, Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum Vice President, said, “I cannot think of anyone more deserving, and I am looking forward to seeing pictures of him on the top of the parade sled.”

The Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum is a 40-acre National Heritage Site in Askel that preserves the original Homestead that served members of a Finnish immigrant family from 1896 to 1966. It is owned and maintained by an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to helping visitors experience the history and resilience of the Copper Country’s immigrant families.