Posti and the war veteran associations organized the popular card campaign already for the seventh time, to delight our war veterans, war-time women and Lotta women and girls with thank you cards.
The total number of thank you cards sent this year was approximately 40,000. Mail carriers will deliver the cards to veterans and our war-time women by Independence Day according to the address information by Finland’s War Veteran Association (Suomen Sotaveteraaniliitto), the Disabled War Veterans Association of Finland (Sotainvalidien Veljesliitto), Veteran Soldiers (Rintamaveteraaniliitto), the Aid Society for War Widows and Relatives of the Fallen (Kaatuneitten Omaisten liitto) and to Lotta women and girls by the Lotta Svärd Foundation.
The purpose of the card campaign was to remind Finns of the importance of staying in touch and to give them the opportunity to express their gratitude to veterans, our war-time women and former Lotta women and girls for their efforts to preserve Finland’s independence. “I would like to thank everyone who sent a card. For the generation of veterans, letters and cards are the most familiar way of communicating. The elderly may be feeling lonely and they may not have access to digital means of communication,” says Tuija Åkerman from Posti.
There are approximately surviving 5,000 veterans in Finland as well as approximately 14,000 war-time women, 1,500 Lotta women and 5,000 Lotta girls. “We are delighted to have received so many thank you cards again this year. Everyone will receive at least one card. The cards will certainly bring joy not only to the recipient but also to a larger group of people, such as in nursing homes, where they can be read out aloud,” Tuija Åkerman says.
"We are delighted that the male and female veterans of our wars are still in the minds of Finns and that they are remembered with such a large number of Independence Day greetings." says Pia Mikkonen, Head of Fundraising.
Cards have been sent by private individuals, school classes, workplace colleagues and hobby groups.
