This year, a special charity initiative will be held in conjunction with the Jukola Relay: a compass collection for Ukraine. The goal is to collect functional, but no longer needed compasses from orienteers and deliver them to the front lines, where there is a dire need for them. In Ukraine, GPS signals are being disrupted to help counter airstrikes. As a result, even Ukrainian forces must revert to traditional navigation—using maps and compasses.
“GPS doesn’t work reliably because Ukraine is jamming the signal to protect itself from air attacks. Troops on the move are therefore forced to navigate like before—without electronics, using only a map and compass,” explain aid workers Hanna Karttunen and Jone Nikula, who have repeatedly delivered supplies to Ukraine.
The initiative was launched by orienteer Vili Väänänen, who saw Jukola as a unique opportunity to do something concrete for good and asked Mikkeli-Jukola for help.
“Many people have compasses lying forgotten in drawers. My father and I thought, what better place to collect them than Jukola, where orienteers from all over the world gather. We immediately received encouraging feedback: the idea resonated strongly with the spirit of the orienteering community,” says Väänänen.
All types of compasses are welcome—even old or worn ones. A few air bubbles are not an issue. Donations can include individual compasses or larger quantities from, for example, clubs or schools. Compasses can be brought to the collection point during the Jukola Relay. The collection point is located at the INFO desk and is marked with a red dot on the event area map.
If you can’t attend in person, compasses can also be mailed to:
Väänänen Oy
Kulosaaren Puistotie 50
00570 Helsinki
Finland
Together, we can help. Once again, the map and compass are vital tools—and we can provide one of them. Every compass can point the way to safety.
