MARQUETTE — The Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership in association with the city of Marquette are sending a delegation of nine people to Marquette’s sister city of Kajaani, Finland today.

Kajaani is located in eastern Finland, and is the capital of the Kainuu region. The area is known for its taiga forests and lakes, and for being the birthplace of famous Finnish poet Eino Leino.

The Sister City program with Kajaani, Finland began in the early 1990s, after a group from Kajaani representing their forestry industry visited Marquette and noted similarities between the two regions. The partnership was formalized in 1997, and the two cities have been taking turns sending delegations ever since. This year’s delegation from Marquette will be celebrating the 375th anniversary of the nation of Finland.

The delegation will depart from Marquette Sawyer Airport between 2-4 p.m. today and arrive in Helsinki, before continuing to Kajaani.

Led by Martin Eskelinen and Randy Jensen, delegates will stay with host families and visit sites of interest in the Kajaani area in central Finland. The delegation will experience the similarities and differences between the cities of Marquette and Kajaani, and spend a free weekend with their host families to provide an even deeper exchange of cultural customs and ways of life.

More information and insights about the delegation visit will be shared when the delegation returns at the end of June.

More information about the Marquette Area Sister Cities Partnership can be found at www.mqtsistercity.org.

Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.