Luvian Saha Oy supports young people by enabling different opportunities for sports and physical activities and improving access to them. This support particularly focuses on team sports for children and young people, with the company sponsoring close to ten teams or clubs in its operating area every year. Sponsored sports range from pesäpallo (Finnish baseball) and football to ice hockey, floorball and athletics. Most recently, the company started to support the construction of a local disc golf course.
As a company, it is important to us to support the sports opportunities of children and young people, in particular. The importance of physical exercise and maintaining a good physical condition are emphasised in the modern world. Sponsoring team sports and, therefore, having an impact on sports conditions concern a very large group of children, young people and their families every year. By offering various support, we can have an impact on at least 200 sports enthusiasts and athletes annually”, says Antti-Matti Kivelä, domestic sales manager of Luvian Saha. “Unfortunately, we cannot give a positive response to all support applications, as we receive dozens of them every year. It is important to us that the team or athlete sponsored is local and that the values and principles of the sponsored activity and our operations are as close to a perfect match as possible”, Kivelä says..
Since 2017, Luvian Saha has also closely supported the career of one young promising athlete. The company has been one of the four main sponsors of javelin thrower Julia Valtanen (19) for four years. The current sponsorship period has been described as “Julia’s journey towards major future goals”. Along this journey, Julia and her backers have had a clear goal for 2020: to be one of Finland’s leading throwers.
Valtanen’s journey so far has been an excellent success; after all, she came in first in the Finland–Sweden Athletics International by throwing her personal best 57.91 metres (600 g javelin).
It has been wonderful to see how Julia has improved from one year to the next and to have been able to help a young athlete on her way towards her goals. Julia’s career can be described as very target-driven, systematic and determined. Her activities are based on the same factors as continuously developing business operations: goals, plans, as well as the hard and determined work required to achieve them, one step at a time. Julia’s success in reaching her goals, after determined efforts, is the best prize for all her sponsors”, says Veli-Matti Puuska, managing director of Luvian Saha.
Luvian Saha has had a significant impact on Valtanen’s career. Sponsors have given the young athlete and her coaches an opportunity to focus on high-quality work, and they have helped us to acquire first-class equipment. This is also highly significant considering development. We have been able to travel to competitions one day beforehand and prepare professionally”, say Julia and her manager-father Ilpo Valtanen.
Information about Julia:
Place of residence: Rauma
Age: 19
The first athlete sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities in Finland Ronald McDonald kummiurheilijan tarina
CAREER
2017 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival, Győr, Hungary: Gold medal with a national record 58.11 m (500 g javelin)
2019 European Athletics U20 Championships, Sweden: 11th place
Finnish Championships silver medallist in 2019
Finnish Championships U19 gold medallist in 2019
Finnish Championships U19 gold medallist in 2020
First place in the Finland–Sweden Athletics International 2020 with PB 57.91 m
Third in 2020 U20 world rankings
Five national records in different age categories
The first Finnish 15-year-old to throw a 600 g javelin over 50 m (in Turku on 31 August 2016)
Main sponsors: Luvian Saha Oy, Eurajoen Säästöpankki, West-EL and Lähitapiola Lännen