Victoria's Great Cloth Diaper Change out to bust misconceptions
On April 19, parents will gather – babies in tow – with a goal to establish a new world record.
Each will pick a quadrant taped on a school room floor, and when the whistle blows, all will change their babies into cloth diapers in unison.
“At the end, everyone lifts up their child to show that the diaper is on,” said Charlotte King-Harris, one of the organizers of the Great Cloth Diaper Change.
No need to wait for a dirty diaper to participate, she assured. “That would be a very poopy room.”
The count has to be handled in an official way to ensure witnesses can make an accurate count of diapers changed, King-Harris said. Data will be submitted to Guinness World Records with the hope of beating last year’s mark of 5,026 cloth diapers changed simultaneously.
This year, 262 sites from 15 countries will host changing stations.
The challenge is a fun way to promote cloth diapers. It’s a subject King-Harris feels strongly about. Disposables are piling up in the landfill, she said. “You feel so guilty knowing that none of it is going to break down.”
With the introduction of flushable liners, cloth diapers “are so simple, they’re so easy,” she said. “There is this misconception that it involves safety pins, and scrubbing poop with your bare hands.”
In May, her co-organizer, Rachel Aube, will be making a pitch to the Capital Regional District to provide $100 reimbursements to parents for choosing cloth diapers to help offset their start-up costs. She predicts the program will save money due to the savings through reduced demands on the landfill.
rholmen@vicnews.com
Mark your calendar
At 9 a.m., bring your baby to S.J. Willis school (923 Topaz Ave.). Cloth diapers will be provided for the world-record changing challenge to parents who don’t own them.
Cloth-diaper vendors, midwives and doulas will be available to provide information. A donation box will be available for old cloth diapers. Cloth for a Cause will refurbish donated diapers for families in need. For more information, contact victoriaclothdiaperchange@gmail.com or visit www.GreatClothDiaperChange.com.
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter now! We'll keep you in the loop on all the great events happening in and around Westhills, plus other helpful tips on owning a home in Westhills and the West Shore!
You’ll never miss an update!