Tokmanni donated one hundred thousand euros to the Hunger Day collection of the Finnish Red Cross – Purchases of Tokmanni’s Priima grocery products and Kotikulta decoration lights boosted the donation

Tokmanni     Press release     16 November 2021 at 11:55 a.m.

Tokmanni’s donation of EUR 100,884.35 will be directed to the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of natural disasters and war around the world and to maintain volunteers’ preparedness for crisis situations. In Finland, assistance will be provided to victims of fires or other sudden accidents. Hilkka Korte, Campaign Coordinator, Tuuli Lahti, Corporate Relations and Fundraising Specialist, and Sirpa Solehmainen, Fundraising Director, received a plaque symbolising the donation on behalf of the Finnish Red Cross from Mika Rautiainen, CEO of Tokmanni, and Sirpa Huuskonen, Vice President, People, Culture and Sustainability at Tokmanni, at Tokmanni’s HQ and Logistics Centre in Mäntsälä on Monday 15 November 2021.

Tokmanni has donated EUR 100,884.35 to the Hunger Day collection of the Finnish Red Cross. The donation is related to a joint campaign of Tokmanni and the Finnish Red Cross in which each Priima grocery product and Kotikulta decoration light product purchased from Tokmanni between August and October added five cents to the amount to be donated. The campaign is a natural continuation of the partners’ long-term cooperation to promote the wellbeing of people and communities and reduce loneliness and social exclusion.

For more than 40 years, the Hunger Day campaign has raised funds for the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which is used to quickly and effectively provide aid to victims of natural disasters or sudden accidents in Finland and abroad.

Tokmanni has participated in the Hunger Day campaign for three consecutive years. This year, Tokmanni wanted to donate money based on customer purchases of Priima grocery products and Kotikulta decoration lights, which are among the most popular seasonal products in the autumn. Priima and Kotikulta are Tokmanni's private labels, and there were more than 200 different campaign products on offer between August and October.

“Tokmanni wants to support the significant work of the Finnish Red Cross in simple and practical ways. For example, it was very easy for customers to participate in our campaign this autumn, and our donation of EUR 100,884.35 will be directed to helping those in need of aid in Finland and abroad. This major donation wouldn’t have been possible without the input of our customers and employees and the employees and volunteers of the Finnish Red Cross,” says Mika Rautiainen, CEO of Tokmanni.

“This year, the Hunger Day collection reached a total of 2.3 million euros. We would like to thank each donor and street fundraiser. Their input enables us to provide aid in Finland and abroad. We would also like to thank Tokmanni and its customers for their significant input in the collection,” says Sirpa Solehmainen, Fundraising Director at the Finnish Red Cross.

Various forms of cooperation in Finland

Tokmanni and the Finnish Red Cross have been cooperating since 2019. Their cooperation aims to promote the wellbeing of people and communities and reduce loneliness and social exclusion. Tokmanni is committed to supporting the Finnish Red Cross until the end of 2023 at least.

In addition to participating in the Hunger Day campaign, Tokmanni has supported the Christmas cafés of the Finnish Red Cross around the country, as well as providing Christmas gifts for hundreds of carers and lonely people. Last year, Tokmanni enabled the Finnish Red Cross to help around 2,500 people through its volunteer friend activities in Finland. Tokmanni also supported the NGO in combatting the coronavirus pandemic by donating products and offering help with logistics. This year, Tokmanni organised a campaign to raise a donation for the Disaster Relief Fund, and it has also sold Chain of Aid reflectors, a campaign product introduced in August.


Hunger Day collection in brief:

• Hunger Day is a fundraising campaign of the Finnish Red Cross, which is held every year in September and October. This year, the national street collection campaign took place from 23 to 25 September.
• The Hunger Day collection raises uncommitted funds for the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Finnish Red Cross to quickly provide aid where it is needed most at any particular time.
• In Finland, Disaster Relief Fund donations are used to train volunteers and to maintain Finland's preparedness to respond effectively to various crisis situations. Sudden accidents and disruptions include fires, floods and major accidents, for example.
• The Finnish Red Cross is helping to provide aid in the Philippines, where numerous natural disasters cause suffering and distress every year. Hot food and water canisters, for example, are distributed to families as emergency aid, but the long-term work involved in rebuilding and development of preparedness is equally important.
• This year, the Hunger Day collection was organised for the 41st time.
• Read more about Hunger Day on the NGO's campaign pages at www.redcross.fi/hunger-day.

Read more about the long-term partnership between Tokmanni and the Finnish Red Cross in Finnish on Tokmanni’s website, at www.tokmanni.fi/spr.


TOKMANNI AND THE FINNISH RED CROSS


For further information, please contact:


Sirpa Solehmainen
Fundraising Director
Finnish Red Cross

Tel. +358 50 567 6629
sirpa.solehmainen(at)redcross.fi


Maarit Mikkonen
Head of IR and Communications
Tokmanni

Tel. +358 40 562 2282
maarit.mikkonen(at)tokmanni.fi


The Finnish Red Cross is one of Finland’s largest NGOs. The aim of the Red Cross is to help people who are most in need of help, both at home and abroad. The Red Cross provides aid after disasters and accidents and trains people to prepare for such crises. The Red Cross encourages people to take care of their own health and of one another. Defending humanity is one of the main goals of the Red Cross family.


Tokmanni is Finland’s leading variety discount retailer. Some 4,000 Tokmanni employees make customers’ everyday life and special occasions easier by offering a versatile and up-to-date assortment of Finnish and international brand-name products and other high-quality products at prices that are always affordable. With nearly 200 stores around Finland and an online store, Tokmanni is always close to its customers. Tokmanni’s revenue in 2020 amounted to EUR 1,073.2 million. Tokmanni shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.