First Drive in California-WEstlake High School Choir

When I initiated this program in SoCal, I really thought about how I should approach my first drive, as I was new to leadership and initiating something on my own. I then realized that I wanted to start somewhere where I was comfortable and decided to ask my school choir. Westlake High School Choir is filled with the most inclusive and giving people I have known and I knew they would be open to a new and different drive like this. And with that, I decided to ask my choir director the next day at school. I remember the night before I tried to figure out all kinds of ways I can convince her and make her say yes somehow. I anxiously walked into my teacher’s office the next day only to walk out with an instant yes. Fast forward to a couple weeks later and I had to announce to my whole class about this idea I had. It was a little quiet at first, but the response at the end was overwhelming. Most of all, a group of men, the “Tampon Tenors” as they called themselves, decided to go on a Target run and purchase all of these products for us, which is one of the most empowering things to see. Also, our drive went right through our Fall Choir Concert, where a few audience members also contributed to this cause. In today’s day and age, we are all educated about menstruation and the dangers that can come without proper care. It is one thing to be educated and another thing to act upon, and seeing each and every person, including my choir director participate warmed my heart, and we ended up collecting a total of 1,447 pads and tampons altogether in our first ever California drive.

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