Fazer Bakery’s Oululainen Reilu brand supports the Sisujengi team participating in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in March. Through the cooperation, Fazer wants to be involved in enabling the development of an equal sports culture in Finland.
The Special Olympics World Winter Games for athletes with intellectual disabilities will be held from 8 to 15 March 2025 in Turin, Italy. Finland is represented by the 34-athlete Sisujengi team, which competes in six sports: cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, figure skating and floorball. The Special Olympics is the world’s largest sporting event for people with intellectual disabilities. The World Summer and Winter Games are held in a four-year rhythm.
“The goal of our cooperation is to support an equal Finnish sports culture and increase the visibility of Sisujengi with the help of our Reilu brand,” says Anna Kanerva, Marketing Director of Fazer Bakery Finland.
“We share similar values with the Finnish Paralympic Committee, and together we want to promote equality, non-discrimination, and the joy of exercise, as well as strengthen fairness both in sports and in other aspects of life. This creates a strong foundation for our long-term partnership,” continues Kanerva.
Cooperation is carried out in many different ways
The cooperation between the Reilu brand and Sisujengi began in the spring of 2024, and it can be seen in many different contexts.
“We participated in Sisujengi’s preparation camp in Pajulahti, where Fazer’s nutrition expert gave the athletes advice on nutrition, meal composition, and snacks. In addition, the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre in Vantaa has an exhibition introducing Sisujengi until the end of July. The Visitor Centre’s shop also sells partner bags, 50% of the price of which goes to support the activities of Sisujengi,” says Kanerva.
Special Olympics activities also gain wide visibility in the packaging and store materials of Oululainen Reilu breads baked from Finnish grain.
“We greatly value the cooperation with Fazer Bakery. The importance of good nutrition is emphasised in the everyday lives of athletes, and Fazer a very suitable partner for us in this regard as well,” says Timo Mäkynen, Partnership Manager at the Finnish Paralympic Committee.
