By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
Two marketing classes at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College are collaborating on a Diaper Drive for Rowan Helping Ministries.
Planning and marketing the drive has been a project for both of Dana Chaney’s classes, according to student Gretchen Hunter. “We decided we wanted to do something for Rowan Helping Ministries,” Hunter says.
When Cam Campbell, volunteer manager for the ministries, came and talked to the classes, she said their greatest need was disposable diapers.
Chaney’s students decided to hold a diaper drive on the Salisbury campus on Thursday and a diaper drive for the public Saturday at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts at 1428 W. Innes St.
The drive will be held from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the parking lot.
Hunter says she talked to Krispy Kreme Manager David Oakley about helping with the drive. “He was like, ‘Oh yeah, we can do this. Let’s do a diapers for doughnuts campaign.’ ”
Hunter was hoping people who donated a pack of diapers would get a free doughnut, but Oakley wanted to give every person who donates at least 25 diapers a whole dozen. “I think he was more excited than the class,” she says.
The students and faculty members who donated 1,660 diapers for the campus drive Thursday got their choice of free doughnuts or coupons for free doughnuts. People who donate at least 25 diapers at Krispy Kreme Saturday will have the same choice.
It was Hunter’s idea to contact Krispy Kreme about helping with the diaper drive.
“I love Krispy Kreme,” she says. “I will call and ask, ‘Do you have hot doughnuts now?’ … and I know Krispy Kreme likes to help the community.”
Hunter says the goal of the two classes is to collect 5,000 diapers for the children of struggling parents. She encourages people interested in donating to check around for diapers on sale.
“If you’re out of work and don’t have diapers,” she says, “as long as your baby’s dry, I don’t think they care what brand it is.”
Students had different assignments as far as promoting the drive. Hunter says they made up flyers to distribute to students on campus and for Krispy Kreme to distribute to customers. “On the flyers, our little slogan was ‘Help Rowan Helping Ministries Keep the Babies of Our Community Dry,’ ” she says.
One student’s assignment was to try to get some radio spots aired about the diaper drive, and Hunter’s assignment was to contact the newspaper.
Hunter says students have also contacted large stores such as Wal-Mart and Food Lion about donating diapers. “If a company would give 5,000, Krispy Kreme would give the whole store a doughnut party,” she says. “Or if the Post wants to donate 5,000 bags of diapers …”
She’s hoping for an A in the marketing class. “When I went back and told them that Krispy Kreme wanted to sponsor the drive for us,” she says, “everyone in the class said, ‘You don’t have to do anything else. You have an A.’ ”
But Hunter didn’t stop working on the diaper drive. “I actually made up little thank-yous to hand out to people when they bring the diapers,” she says.
At age 56, she’s working on a degree in business administration. A part-time employee at Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hunter says she’ll probably stay in the food service field when she graduates.
“I’ve done that forever,” she says. “I’m hoping to get a manager’s job.”
Hunter has two children and seven grandchildren and a great-grandson who is only 9 weeks old. “He’s all into Huggies now,” she says.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.