A team of cyclists who put pedal to the metal to raise awareness about period poverty and collect pads for underprivileged girls, has crossed the finish line.
The cyclists who are all employed in different departments at the City of Cape Town embarked on their pads drive after hearing the heart-rending stories of girls and women affected by menstruation struggles, shared by the founder of #AgainstPeriodPoverty, Lindsay Adams.
Yesterday the team handed over more than 900 packs of pads to an overwhelmed Lindsay at Hey Halfway Toyota in Tyger Valley, after cycling a 25.64km course, starting at Cape Town and ending in Muizenberg on 2 December.
The dealership offered one of their bakkies to transport the pads as they went along.
Lindsay says she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the mountain of pads: “I have run out of words to express my thanks towards the City of Cape Town Cycling Team, Hey Halfway Toyota Tyger Valley, BayPort and the community at large who came out to support and donated.
“Thank you for your generous donations and hearts towards #againstperiodpoverty and keeping our girls in school, because of this we can now donate more than 100 sanitary packs to nine charities.”
Firefighter Jermaine Carelse says his office was filled with donors who dropped off pads, while Regan Bagley, the City’s cyclist coordinator, feels this should be a national movement, saying: “Sanitary wear for women and girls should be free, this is something that should be done nationwide.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za