In the heat of the sunny July, Restaurant Manager Martti Lahdensuo appeared both surprised and relieved when Katariina Suokko was appointed to take care of the duties of household manager for Jukola.

"It's wonderful that the household manager was found so close - within Virkiä's own orienteering section. I am pleased Katariina accepted the challenge. She will be working as my partner in Jukola as we will together be in charge of the restaurant facilities."

Being responsible for the competitors' meals is the single most biggest task in Jukola - and not a simple one, either. Delivering over 30 000 meals for the competitors requires the workload of several people.

"We will need approximately 440 volunteers for the restaurant facilities. The figure sounds high yet I'm sure it won't be a problem. The restaurant committee has a lot of skill and the various restaurants of the venue are run by experienced people such as Anneli Mäenpää, Maija Ylivinkka, Sirpa Koski, Maija-Liisa Kytömäki, Liisa Kivisaari and Pentti Kokko", says Lahdensuo.

Katariina Suokko who works as a home economics teacher at Vähäkyrö Junior High School regards her position at Jukola as an interesting challenge:

"I have taken part in the Venla Relay and thus experienced the restaurant services from an orienteer's and a customer's point of view. It feels nice to be on the other side of the table for a change. It is, of course, a lot of work but we have such a good and experienced team that I have no doubt things will run smoothly."

We're looking forward to sampling the delicacies Katariina and Martti come up with.