Diaper drive set for May 19 at McHenry Outdoor Theater

McHENRY – As every parent of an infant knows, diapers are a significant expense, costing upward of $1,000 or more a year to diaper one child.

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, one in two U.S. families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their children dry and healthy. Three in five parents miss work or school because they cannot supply the necessary allotment of diapers to their child’s day care center, according to statistics at nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org. Public assistance programs such as WIC or SNAP do not cover diapers.

As board president for Kids in Need of McHenry County, Dawn Bremer is acutely aware that the need for diapers is great. That’s why she’s spearheading a diaper drive Sunday, May 19, at the McHenry Outdoor Theater.

The event, co-sponsored by The Bremer Team – Keller Williams Success Realty and the theater, will benefit both Kids in Need and Keeping Families Covered. The latter is a Waukegan-based nonprofit that distributes about 1 million diapers a year to families and partnering agencies such as Kids In Need throughout Lake and McHenry counties, as well as southeastern Wisconsin.

”We thought with our partnership with the [theater] and [owner] Scott Dehn’s generosity and love of the community, we could raise awareness and generate a lot of diapers,” said Bremer, who is owner and president of The Bremer Team.

The drive will start at 6 p.m. May 19. Anyone bringing at least one unopened package of diapers in any size will receive free admission to watch a special showing of “The Boss Baby,” Bremer and Dehn said.

”Come out, help your neighbors and have some fun with us at the Outdoor,” Dehn said. “What a great way to help supply an essential need for area families who may be struggling.”

Kids in Need is a nonprofit supporting schools, families, foster parents and organizations that need help providing for children’s needs. Planning is underway for an Oct. 19 fundraising gala at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake.

More information about the organization, including ways to help, is at kinmc.org.

For more information about Keeping Families Covered, visit keepingfamiliescovered.org.

Anyone who would like to help but is unable to attend the May 19 event can drop diapers off at The Bremer Team’s office, 1218 N. Green St., Unit D, McHenry, or at the McHenry Outdoor Theater, 1510 N. Chapel Hill Road, during business hours.