PEC Period Party

Fundraiser to collect menstrual products for distribution

Ten-year-old Ramona Roblin has an aim to end “period poverty” in the County. The Grade Five student has been working on this for well over a year, after discovering what the term meant during a class project. The term period poverty refers to the unavailability or unaffordability of menstrual products for those who need them. “Last year, I figured out what ‘period poverty’ was and I felt bad that so many people had to go through that, so I wanted to make a difference. I’m not someone who will just sit there and say, ‘Oh, someone else is going to do it.’ I want to take action, and I wanted to do something to help,” said Ramona. So last year she teamed up with then school trustee Alison Kelly for a Period Party held at 555 Brewing Company. In the lead-up to that there was a month-long product donation campaign, where the donated products were distributed to locations around the County. In addition, the money collected was used to purchase no-cost menstrual product dispensers that were installed in the washrooms at PECI. Since then Ramona has made a presentation to Council for no-cost dispensers in municipal washrooms. She was hoping that Benson Park would be one of the locations, but that has been held back by vandalism at that location. “Right now, I think they are going to get them in the arena. To all you guys [reading this], please do not vandalize the washrooms, because then we can’t put period products in these washrooms for people who really need them,” she said.

This year’s product donation campaign kicked off last Saturday. Period products may be dropped off at Kelly’s and 555 Brewing in Picton, at Adega Wine Bar in Consecon, at The Dressing Room in Rossmore, at the Creekside Café in Wellington, and at PECish Bakery in Milford. All these locations will accept cash donations as well. T-shirts designed by Ambivalently Yours are available at Kelly’s, and part of the proceeds will be donated to the cause. The Period Party will take place on Sunday, March 19 at the Regent Theatre. Admission is by donation of a menstrual product. Doors open at 1 p.m. and there will be a screening of the film My Girl at 2 p.m. “There will be vendors, a market and games, and it will be awesome,” said Ramona. “It will be an upgrade from last year, and last year was phenomenal.” For more information, please visit pecperiodparty on Instagram.