Honorary “witches” across Cullman County have begun brewing potions and preparing their ensembles for the haunting takeover of the city of Cullman’s Warehouse District later this month when the annual Witches Ride fundraiser returns Sunday, Oct. 20.

Since it began in 2022, the ride has become the largest annual fundraiser for Les Dames, a local 501©3 nonprofit organization, with the express goal of making organic, high-quality, feminine sanitary products free and available to all female students in Cullman County.

Executive director, Katherine Anderson, said she was shocked to learn just how many young girls did not have access to basic menstrual hygiene products.

“Most of us have never had to experience that, but when you get out to more rural areas, and even in the city, there is a lot of poverty out there that people don’t talk about,” Anderson said. “There is a real need out there for these girls.”

A 2023 report from Period — a menstrual health advocacy organization — showed nearly one in four female students in the U.S. have struggled to afford sanitary products. Forty-four percent of those surveyed said this led to feelings of stress and embarrassment. Anderson said some students have even missed days or an entire week of school due to them being unable to access pads or tampons.

One goal of Les Dames is to reduce the amount of stigma or shame surrounding such a sensitive topic for young girls simply by talking about it more openly and regularly.

“This is something that we usually never talked about. Now, we are making it into a topic that you shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk about. I know I never talked about it with my dad or my mom but now we are having real conversations,” Anderson said.

Les Dames reached a major milestone just before students returned to classes in August when dispensers providing pads and tampons were installed in restrooms at every public high school in the county. Anderson said Les Dames plans to continue its goal of ensuring every student has access to these necessary products and plans to use entry fees collected from this year’s event to begin the process of installing dispensers at local middle schools.

“We don’t charge people to use toilet paper. This is a necessity. It’s not a luxury. It’s something that you need. These girls were having to show up to school and use toilet paper or paper towels or whatever was available to them. Now we have these beautiful dispensers, you just press a button on either side to choose either a pad or a tampon and it comes right out. We also encourage them to take whatever they need. If they have a week coming up where they will be on break, they can take enough to get them through that week and we will come and refill those dispensers,” Anderson said.

The event is scheduled to last from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 along 1st Avenue NE. Anderson said spectators could witness the parade on either side of the downtown Warehouse District. The family friendly event will have plenty of additional entertainment including face painting and bounce houses for children while parents and adults can enjoy the live music and on-site food trucks.

The event is free to attend, but participation in the ride requires a $50 donation. For each individual who registers Les Dames is able to provide one young woman the feminine hygiene products she will need for one year.

In the past witches have walked, biked and even ridden in decorated golf carts while tossing candy to eager, onlooking children and spectators. Groups between four and eight women are encouraged to design their costumes around a single theme. Groups of 10 are also able to register together by selecting the large party sponsor option. However, speaking from experience, Anderson said a “coven” is by no means a requirement for participation.

“I actually started going to my first Les Dames events by myself because I was new to the area and didn’t know anybody. But, even when you show up alone, you end up making a lot of friends. Everyone is just so supportive because we are all coming together to raise these funds,” Anderson said.