Touching Pink Ribbon campaign: Significance through the eyes of Finnair employees

The Cancer Foundation's Pink Ribbon collection is Finland's largest fundraising campaign to beat cancer. Donations have supported Finnish cancer research since 2003. This year’s Pink Ribbon was designed by Vesterinen and his band, fronted by singer Tero Vesterinen. 

Finnair participates in the important Pink Ribbon campaign in 2024 by giving  employees Pink Ribbons to wear on their  uniforms. By wearing ribbons, Finnair and its employees are strongly involved in the campaign, showing support and highlighting the importance of donating to cancer research. In addition, Finnair customers have the opportunity to donate Avios to the Pink Ribbon campaign in the Finnair Shop. 

"We participate in the Pink Ribbon campaign to demonstrate social responsibility and support cancer research and awareness raising about cancer. The campaign is in line with our values and is a concrete way to show solidarity and support for those struggling with a serious illness such as cancer”, says Maiju Mattila, Sustainability Manager at Finnair. 

The campaign, which has already become a tradition, is a highly anticipated and significant event among Finnair employees. 

"Cancer is a disease that affects many Finnair employees and those close to them. This makes the campaign particularly meaningful for Finnair employees, and active participation in recent years has been a sign of community spirit and solidarity," Mattila continues. 

Among the approximately 5,200 employees, there are also numerous employees for whom the campaign is particularly meaningful personally. Here are a few of them.

Christina Kohanevic, Service Guide 

Born in Brazil, Christina Kohanevic has had a long career: She started working in Finnair's own duty-free shop in 1983. The hard-working woman has worked for 44 years and has worked both in customer service at the airport and at check-in. Over the years, Christina has also been involved in several Pink Ribbon campaigns, wearing the ribbon in her uniform. 

"I think it's great that Finnair is highlighting an important campaign. In this way, the campaign gains both domestic and international visibility. The fact that we are getting the Pink Ribbons is a great indication from the company," Christina describes. 

For Finnish passengers, the Pink Ribbon is usually already a familiar sight, but with foreigners it quickly sparks interesting discussions. 

"The uniform always draws attention, and the Pink Ribbon adds to it. I am happy to tell foreigners about the campaign and they will tell me about their country’s fundraising. There is a lot of positive feedback from customers that Finnair is showing support,” Christina says. 

"Cancer is already a very common disease. You could say that someone always knows someone close to you who has had cancer. Through the campaign, cancer as a disease becomes more familiar, and is no longer such a scary term," Christina describes. 

The Pink Ribbon campaign has raised funds for cancer research since 2003. As popularity has grown, the campaign has expanded, and in 2020 for the first time, it supported research into other cancers in addition to breast cancer research. Christina is personally touched by the campaign, as she has suffered from two different cancers. 

"I like to talk about it and give a face to the important matter. The campaign touches me personally. The first illness was a shock about 15 years ago. I had gynecological cancer, but I survived it with treatments and surgeries," Christina says. 

However, only about six years later, Christina faced a new ordeal when she learned that she had another type of cancer, sarcoma. 

"This latter illness was a bigger shock because of the extent of the cancer and the surgery. Sarcoma can usually be operated on. Instead of the thigh muscle, mine was so badly attached to the thighbone that the entire thighbone and half of the thigh muscle had to be cut out. I have a prosthesis that is hidden inside my leg and now I use a cane as a support when walking for the rest of my life. I'm grateful to the doctors, they do miracles. You can trust that you will receive the best treatment in Finland,” Christina tells. 

After recovering, Christina set her sights on returning to work. She is happy to be able to make a 50% roster. Of course, after falling ill, the job description had to be lightened from working as a Gate Agent to a Service Guide working at check-in. 

"Now I am on partial disability pension and work 74 hours a month. At first, I had a tough threshold to move around with a cane when people were watching. Then I realised, I am disabled, but I have no pain, and I can walk well with a cane. I can organise baggage at check-in perfectly well and it's important to me that I can do my job well. Through me, the company also shows equality, that even a person with disabilities can work," Christina says. 

Despite her severe illnesses, Christina exudes joy of life and positivity throughout the interview. The woman describes her attitude to life very well: 

"When you go through things like this, you learn to be grateful for even the little things.  I now appreciate my own small everyday life more. I have learned that life is not to be feared. Cancer can come suddenly, no matter how much you take care of yourself, but you can survive it.”

Erika Bäck, Cabin Crew Member 

Erika Bäck has worked at Finnair since 2018 as a Cabin Crew Member. During the six years, she has also completed training to work as a Service Motivator specialising in Business Class service, and she also works as a service instructor at Finnair Flight Academy. Erika has worn the Pink Ribbon on her uniform for several years. 

"I think it's really great and important that Finnair supports the campaign. Many of Finnair's cabin crew members are women, and cancer is quite common. Research shows that irregular work can increase breast cancer risk ," Erika describes. 

The Pink Ribbon attracts attention and opens conversations with customers on an important topic. 

"Our uniform is classic, elegant and dark, so the ribbon stands out from it right away. Customers often ask: what is it all about? The topic is touching, and sometimes customers also share personal experiences of their illnesses,” Erika shares her experiences. 

In Erika's case, the significance of the campaign only increased when a loved one fell ill. 

"I want to be part of this campaign because small actions can make a big difference. My mother has beaten breast cancer and through it I have seen what cancer treatments are like and how good treatment can be obtained. It is important to support cancer research. Small things make a big difference: You can prove it by buying a Pink Ribbon or   donating your Avios to the campaign," Erika says. 

"Speaking out about the topic will hopefully also bring courage to everyone to go to examinations if necessary." 

In the cabin crew's job description, it is important to weld into a functional team responsible for safety, even with strangers. This emphasises team spirit and you often become friends with colleagues. 

"The Pink Ribbon and cancer diseases are talked about a lot among employees. In addition to work, emotions may be shared with colleagues in the wee hours of the night. Our working environment is such that we talk openly about all kinds of topics and share deeper things with each other," Erika gratefully explains her special work community.

Marja Lehtinen, Cabin Crew Member, retired 

Marja Lehtinen, who is enjoying her retirement, had a respectable career of 46.5 years at Finnair. Marja started working as a Finnair Airport Hostess in 1972 and from 1974 onwards she worked as a Cabin Crew Member, taking care of safety and service. 

"I actively flew for decades. It certainly tells you how wonderful the work is. I couldn't have imagined doing anything else. Our work is so fun that you get younger there,” Marja laughs. 

“It is fun to work together with employees of many ages. I remember listening to a young colleague's stories with interest and mirroring them to my daughter's speeches," she describes. 

Marja, who retired in 2019, realises during the interview that she almost can't talk about her work in the past tense. 

"Yes, a cabin crew member is always a cabin crew member," she laughs. 

During her working years, Marja was several times involved in the Pink Ribbon campaign. This year, Finnair supports the campaign by giving ribbons to its uniformed employees. Marja believes that Finnair, as an international and visible airline, is an important supporter of the campaign. 

"Finnair stands for modernity and dynamism, and customers take note of our employees' ribbons. We received a lot of positive feedback on them, and the use of the ribbons started interesting discussions. This kind of campaign breaks down walls between people and increases humanity and soft values," Marja rejoices. 

Cancer also affects Marja on a personal level, as she herself has had cancer and her loved ones have died of this serious illness. Marja was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. 

"But I survived. Breast cancer affects so many women. I can say that there are many breast cancer patients among Finnair's cabin crew," Marja ponders. 

In addition to work, Marja often had time to discuss life's joys and sorrows with her colleagues. Marja says that she has both received and given peer support in the skies. 

"It's great that people are talking about it. We have a wonderful work community, and I also took care of my psyche alongside work. Even unpleasant things should be made commonplace, so they can be endured much better," Marja describes. 

During her career, Marja has accumulated a huge collection of Pink Ribbons from different years. In addition, she still buys the ribbon annually for herself. 

"Customers were always very happy that Finnair had taken a stand to promote the Pink Ribbon campaign. One in three Finns is diagnosed with cancer, so many customers also had experience on the subject. In a way, the ribbon is a small addition to the uniform, but it attracts a lot of important attention. It's great that things are being humanised and made commonplace, made available to everyone." 

Finnair will participate in the important Pink Ribbon campaign in 2024 by giving Pink Ribbons for its employees to wear on their uniforms. In addition, Finnair customers have the opportunity to donate their Avios to the campaign in Finnair Shop.