Annual Pad Party adds effort to bring menstrual products to schools in need

What began as an effort to bring menstrual products to women in need is expanding to schools.

The Pad Party marks its 12th annual menstrual product drive this week leading up to Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 17.

The effort began with a group of friends who came together after Sioux Falls resident Katrina Lehr-McKinney volunteered at The Banquet and learned of a woman in desperate need of menstrual hygiene products who was wearing her baby’s last diaper to get by.

“This event is our effort to help end period poverty in Sioux Falls,” Lehr-McKinney said. “Menstrual products shouldn’t be seen as a luxury for anyone but unfortunately can be cost-prohibitive when you are prioritizing whether or not to spend your money on food or pads and tampons. We know that it was announced in September that Procter & Gamble raised the prices of their Always and Tampax product lines. With increasing rates of inflation, this is unfortunately an issue that is not improving.”

In the 11 years that the group has worked on this project, nearly 300,000 pads, tampons and incontinence products have been donated to The Banquet for redistribution to those who need them.

“We are asking the public to donate maxi pads, liners, tampons and incontinence products that provide support for people throughout their life cycles,” Lehr-McKinney said.

In addition to Lehr-McKinney, the founding mothers of The Pad Party are Manaal Ali, Heather Krause, Brienne Maner, Leslie Olson, Carmen Toft and Kristen Townsend.

Help for schools

New this year, cash donations will to directly to the Promising Futures Fund in an effort to supply Title I schools in the Sioux Falls School District with period products.

“Our partnership with the Promising Futures Fund will allow this project to further support our community in a way that directly supports students in need and, frankly, teachers who we know pay out-of-pocket for period products for their classrooms,” Lehr-McKinney said.

Where to donate

Pads, tampons, liners and incontinence products can be dropped inside designated boxes at the following businesses until Jan. 16:

• Waterbury Heating and Cooling, 1401 E. Sioux St.
• Fit My Feet, 3534 S. Western Ave.
• Miner Brewing Co. & Prairie Berry Winery Taproom,  2101 W. 41st St.
• Elegant Mommy, 207 W. 37th St.
• Fresh Produce, 400 N. Main Ave.
• Miller Funeral Home, 507 S. Main Ave.
• Rehfeld’s Art & Framing, 431 N. Phillips Ave.

Financial contributions can be made to The Pad Party via the Promising Futures Fund in two ways:

• Online at sfacf.org/futures.
• Sending contributions to Promising Futures Fund, 834 S. Phillips Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104.

The MLK Day Event will be held at Miner Brewing from 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 17. To connect with the event on Facebook, click here.

“We’ll deliver donations from the drop-off locations on MLK Day and donations from the Miner Brewing event on Tuesday the 18th,” Pad Party organizer Brienne Maner said. “We set a goal to deliver at least 60,000 products and break our record this year.”

Note: The MLK event has been adjusted to a drop-off only event.