A group of Esko girls will have a unique experience next summer when they travel to Finland to play basketball.
"It really is the opportunity of a lifetime for the girls," mentioned Dennis Rengo, the coach and organizer of the team. "We will be there anywhere from 10 to 12 days and play about five to six games."
The story dates back to 1998, when Pekka Posti spent a year in an exchange program teaching in Esko. Posti became friends with Rengo and through the years the two came up with the idea of a sports exchange program.
"A few years after he taught here, he brought a team of men over to play some of the guys from Esko," stated Rengo. "And then a couple of years after they came over here, we took a bunch of guys and went over to Finland to play their team."
The exchange program ramped up even more a couple of years ago when Posti's niece, Paulina, arrived at Esko to play basketball her senior year through the foreign exchange program.
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"The girls who will go to Finland will all be seniors next year in high school," mentioned Rengo. "Right now we are in the midst of fund raising and raising awareness of the trip."
"Destination Finland" is what Rengo is calling the trip and so far he and the students have held auctions, raffles and car washes in an effort to help offset the costs.
The Destination Finland group used the Esko Lions Club parade as a kickoff for their fund-raising efforts. They were awarded first place in the float competition by the Lions Club judges and received $75 to go toward the trip. The team will stay mainly in Kotka which is up the coast toward Russia, but they will also play some games in Helsinki.
"My goal is to continue this every two years or so," Rengo remarked. "I just think this is a great chance for the kids."
Two upcoming events will be important toward the fund-raising efforts of Destination Finland. This Saturday, Aug. 18, they will hold a car wash at Cloquet Ford Chrysler Center, and on Friday, Aug. 31, the group will run the B&B Wagon at Outdoor Advantage in Cloquet.
People interested in donating to the team can mail donations to: Destination Finland, P.O. Box 302, Esko, MN 55733, or they can call Dennis Rengo at 879-8488.
