Maria Sipari is a Lappeenranta native who works as an additional adult in the JOPO class at Sammonlahti School. She is a qualified school assistant and social services professional, with deep roots in the city. Maria particularly values Lappeenranta's strong sense of community, Karelian hospitality and willingness to help one another. Her love for her hometown is reflected in her everyday work and actions.

When Maria was nominated for Vuoden Lappeenrantalaisin 2026, she wanted the nomination to represent Marian Polku – a team of more than 30 people united by a shared desire to do good together.

Marian Polku began its journey in early 2025, when Maria was invited to participate in the Saimaa Cycle Tour. With the support of friends and partners, the idea evolved into a collective journey, bringing together people from different backgrounds, with different stories and life experiences. At the heart of the team's activities are the joy of doing things together, helping others and having the courage to give things a try. As Maria puts it: “True teamwork is above all about helping one another, ensuring that each of us gets to experience those moments of success where we are at our very best.” Over time, Marian Polku has become like an extended family.

In 2026, the team once again set out to ride the 300-kilometer main event of the Saimaa Cycle Tour, this time for charity. Their goal was to support low-income families with children in Lappeenranta and help fund children's hobbies and activities. The team included 29 cyclists, a truly fantastic support crew and 14 partner organisations. Through their joint efforts, they raised €10,000 through a small fundraising campaign and an additional €601 through a bicycle auction. The total of €10,601 was donated to four local organisations that help low-income families with children and support children's hobbies and activities.

Marian Polku aims to demonstrate what can be achieved when people believe in a shared goal, encourage one another and have the courage to come together to do good. We don't have to do everything alone – together, we can go much further.

The team's message to the people of Lappeenranta:

“With faith and hope, let us support and love one another. Our future lies in our youth. Let us give them our time and presence, so that we can leave them a well-cared-for hometown and the values passed down to us by previous generations.”

Here’s something not everyone might know about Maria: She has had her share of unexpected adventures! Once, while she was horse riding, the stirrup strap caught on a knot in a fence rail as the horse was galloping. Maria was thrown out of the riding arena and into the grass. Luckily, she was unharmed! After the riding instructor helped put the stirrup back in place, Maria got straight back on the horse and continued riding. She didn't want the incident to leave her with any fear or uncertainty.