Our friends at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI came up with the idea to have a menstruation party where they could open up a dialogue and celebrate their menses.  They asked GladRags to donate a sampling of our products.  Given how few women we hear from who have menstruation parties, we couldn't resist giving to a cause that would promote positivity around our cycles.  Here is the email we received from Rachel and Anne Marie, the gracious hostesses of the party:

Last week we had our menstruation party at Grand Valley State University, and today we finished our project with an in class presentation on our experience. I wanted to say thank you for the GladRags donations and support of our menstruation party! I also wanted to tell you a little about the event.

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    We had 15 guests, plus the two of us for a grand total of 17.  It ended up being a really good number for discussion. We  had originally planned for activities to take up most of the  party, but we ended up having a dialogue that lasted almost  an hour. Women were really excited to talk about their  experiences in a positive atmosphere, and everyone really  opened up about both positive and negative experiences.  There was such a diverse range of experiences that ranged from happy to sad to touching. It was really very moving, everyone was very open and supportive, and we could not have asked for a better outcome.

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On top of the discussion, we had red-themed refreshments and decorations, created pages for a zine, and made menstruation-positive t-shirts.

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   The products and information that you donated were a huge piece of the night. Part of our discussion was on reusable products, and why they are important for our health and our environment. We stressed that we did not want to push products on anyone, but that corporations that produce disposable menstrual products have a vested interest in keeping reusable products a secret, and that we all deserve to be informed on all of our options to make the best decisions for ourselves.

A large majority of the women there did not even know that reusables were an option and were educated about them for the first time. At first many were skeptical (and a little grossed out), but it was amazing to see how much the mentality changed within as little as a half an hour. When we did our door prize give away at the end, everyone was excited for a chance to get her first reusable pad, and many women were talking about making the switch.

Everyone, at both the party and in class today, took information, and seem very excited about the prospect of more sustainable, comfortable, and healthy products. And we have been inspired to keep the momentum going and hope to continue to host gatherings to promote positive menstrual mentalities.

It really was an amazing event, and your donations made it possible—it truly would not have been the same without them. I am including some pictures from the event. Enjoy!

Yours in menstrual solidarity,

Rachael & Anne Marie

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Sounds like your party was a success!  Thanks for sharing your fun with us!