ULMA records its highest attendance at Korrika
The 20th edition of Korrika had very high participation rates at ULMA. The response of its workers to the campaign organised by the ULMA Motivation Team was very good. 2,745 euro were obtained from the donations of 550 workers to buy kilometres and other Korrika materials such as t-shirts, clothes, bags, etc., which were drawn among the participants of the campaign.
Start in Otxandio
This year Korrika’s start has been special for ULMA, present in Otxandio, where ULMA Foundation showed its support for the Basque language, with its presence on the Korrika starting line-up, as well as the purchase of one of the first kilometres. Kilometre five was run by ULMA Conveyor and ULMA Handling workers from Otxandio, carrying the secret message in their hands. Later, in kilometre 15, workers of ULMA Gojain joined the race, sharing the honour of carrying the witness. Days later in Legazpia, ULMA Packaging workers ran another kilometre. In Oñati, kilometre 2298 was especially emotional, and ULMA Foundation decided to dedicate it the children of Joseba Zabaleta, with the aim of showing their message of encouragement to this ULMA partner and Oñati inhabitant.
Accompanied by a number of friends and workers from Packaging and the ULMA Foundation, Joseba Zabaleta’s children took the witness until they transferred it in kilometre 2299 to other ULMA workers: Embedded, Architectural, Carretillas, Construcción, Forja and Packaging shared the satisfaction of carrying the witness during this last kilometre from Oñati to San Prudencio.
Secret message
The next day, Korrika arrived in Pamplona, and the secret message was being passed hand-in-hand was discovered. They were the words of Joseba Sarrionandia Basque, like other languages, is a universal treasure, because it belongs to everyone, because it is not finite, and because it is free.”
Cultural Korrika in Ataun: Barandiaran Museum and cidery
The ULMA Motivation team organised the Cultural Korrika start in Ataun, with the participation of 40 workers. They went by bus and took a guided tour of the Joxemiel Barandiaran Museum. Joxemiel Barandiaran was an anthropologist, ethnographer and priest, famous both in the Basque Country and internationally, and did a great job to collect, analyse and rescue the Basque culture from oblivion. As a result of his many years of study, applying scientific methods and with relentless dedication, he was named Doctor honoris causa and a member of many associations.
After satisfying the desire to learn more, the team was able to satisfy its hunger and thirst at the Urbitarte cidery. Thus, in an atmosphere of music and joy, they returned home with the feeling of having spent a great afternoon.
Korrika this year has been very special in ULMA. The next edition will be held in two years’ time, in 2019.
