On May 18, old friends of the "Initiative E+ " from Finland, the volunteer organization Karavanen til Ukraina, went on a charity walk from Helsinki to Lviv. The goal of the project is to collect €156,100 to help bring Ukraine closer to victory.
Six countries. 42 days. 1561 kilometers. 15,211 strokes. 1.9 million steps. More than 156 thousand euros - 100 euros per kilometer. Amazing Finns set such ambitious goals.
The relay started with rowing to Tallinn. “It was about twenty hours in a rowboat. But a little pain in the muscles and pain in the fingers is, of course, nothing compared to what Ukrainians have been experiencing for more than two years," says Markus Mustelin, one of the project participants.
Next is the walking stage: through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and all the way to Rynok Square in Lviv. The transition is carried out by several teams using the relay method. The main rule: every centimeter to the destination point in Ukraine must be covered on foot. The entire hike from start to finish is filmed with a GoPro camera, and is also covered on social networks Instagram and TikTok.
In addition to fundraising, which is carried out during the relay, its purpose is to convey an important message to Ukraine about unwavering support from Finland.
"Everyone can join in supporting Ukraine. With donations, we buy ambulances, which we then deliver to Ukraine ourselves, - says our old friend and one of the initiators of the campaign, Finnish journalist and entrepreneur Magnus Londen. - Actually, it was my son Fabian's idea. Last year, he walked from Turku to the Embassy of Ukraine in Helsinki and collected 24,000 euros. Now he is also participating in one of the stages of the relay, but together we will try to multiply both the distance and the amount of donations by six. Among the participants are both running enthusiasts and so-called ordinary people. The purpose of the relay is to show that together we are strong and that Finland supports free Ukraine."
Learn more on the project website.
