Syttende Mai Minnesota Banquet

913 East Franklin Avenue,Minneapolis MN 55404

17 May, 2023

Description

Join us for a special Syttende Mai Minnesota Banquet as we gather in the beautiful new event space at Norway House for the first time! This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the NOREX Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange between Norway and Minnesota which makes it the longest-running military exchange program between any two nations. In celebration of this longtime partnership, we're honored to host Major General Kristin Lund as our guest speaker. She was the first female Highest-Ranking Officer of the Norwegian Army and chief of the Norwegian Home Guard before she retired in 2019. During Lund's 40 years of military service, she acquired command and staff experience at a national and international level while serving as the Deputy Commander of the Norwegian Army Forces Command. Among Maj. Gen. Lund's many deployments, she served with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in 1986, in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia in 1991, and with the United Nations Protection Force in the Balkans from 1992-1995, as well as being part of the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2003-2004. Maj. Gen. Lund attended the United States Army War College and earned a Master's degree in strategic studies. She also graduated from the Norwegian Defense Command and Staff College and the Norwegian Defense University College. In addition to Maj. Gen. Lund's distinguished military career in Norway, she's also well-known internationally as she was the first woman to command a United Nations Operation while she served as the Force Commander for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and later as the Head of Mission/Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Jerusalem. Maj. Gen. Lund has a strong affinity for Minnesota as she has participated in the NOREX Troop Exchange for many years. She has also spent time in our great state visiting relatives. The event also includes musical entertainment provided by the Norwegian Glee Club and Ryan Cihlar. Registration deadline: Wed, May 10 by 5 p.m. Don't wait to RSVP...tickets will go quickly! Event details: 5:00 p.m. Reception 5:50 p.m. Seating begins 6:00 p.m. Banquet Ticket prices: $80 for adults $45 for students All tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each meal includes a salad, your choice of entrée, a glass of wine, dessert, and coffee. Entrée selections: Beef- Marinated grilled beef tenderloin served with asparagus, homemade mashed potatoes and aromatic fresh herbs and butter. -or- Salmon- Lemon pepper roasted salmon with creamy dill sauce and fresh lemon, served with homemade mashed potatoes and asparagus -or- Vegetarian- Stuffed portabello mushrooms, sauteed spinach, roasted red peppers, gouda cheese and topped with balsamic glaze (dairy-free version also available). Note: This event has open seating. If you would like to reserve a table (8 seats), send an e-mail to the Norwegian Honorary Consulate General at [email protected] (do not purchase tickets through this website). If you want to reserve an entire table, you must pay for all 8 seats up front and provide the names and meal choices for all of your guests. If you simply purchase 8 tickets on this website, we will have no way to track your order and we will not be able to accommodate your request. Questions: [email protected]