MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- With a goal of 10,000 diapers to be collected in the month of September, SSgt Andrea Payne hit the ground running with a challenge to all Minot Air Force Base squadrons to “get on board” with a grand prize of a Papa John’s pizza party on the line for the winning squadron. Her message was obviously well received as her September Diaper Drive collected 17,200 diapers and 7,000 wipes, almost twice as many as her original goal.
Project Bee would end up being the final destination for the donated diapers “with half of the diapers going to the diaper pantry downtown, and the other half to be used in their warming shelter that will open on October 1,” according to SSgt Payne. Project Bee distributes over 10,000 diapers per month to Minot, the surrounding area and Minot AFB. The September Diaper Drive will benefit over 600 families.
“We are so happy about the results of the September Diaper Drive” according to Project Bee Development Director Allie Walsh, “we provide 30 diapers per month for each child in a qualifying family. We aren’t their total supply, but we are a
supplement.” The application for Dakota Diaper Pantry is on the Project Bee web site, projectbeend.org. “They will be military qualified” according to Walsh “but there are a number of ways to get Dakota Diaper Pantry assistance.”
There were 16 squadrons competing for the grand prize. “I was certainly surprised at the number of squadrons that participated,” according to Payne. “I was also surprised at the number of diapers that people were willing to donate. For a while we had an office full of diapers” as the number grew each day.
If people missed the September Diaper Drive and still want to donate, they can contact Walsh at Project Bee. According to SSgt Payne “they are always looking for diapers, wipes and cash to purchase diapers.” In addition, Project Bee can always use volunteers to work at the pantry doing sorting and packing of donated diapers.
The September Diaper Drive had another positive spin as it “sparked interest for how to organize future events such as clothing drives or toys for Christmas. I had several calls from Airmen asking me how to get started and how to organize the events” added Payne.
The winner of the pizza party? Papa Johns will deliver pizzas to the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron, as they were the
winning squadron collecting over 7,000 diapers.
For more information for those interested in donating you can call Project Bee at (701) 838- 1812 or email them at hello@projectbeend.org.