Guaranteed Rate Field is leading the charge as one of the first Major League Baseball ballparks to offer free period products!
The Chicago White Sox, in collaboration with Aunt Flow and Citron Hygiene, proudly announce that free period products are available at Guaranteed Rate Field. As one of a few clubs in Major League Baseball (MLB) to have the dispensers installed at their home ballpark, the team is signaling that period equity is a priority.
Prioritizing the Fan Experience
The strategic partnership represents a commitment by a league leader to prioritize the fan experience, well-being, inclusivity, and convenience, setting a new standard for sporting events and entertainment complexes. It is the first live sports and entertainment venue in Chicago to partner with Citron Hygiene on a period dignity program. Free Aunt Flow period products are currently available in 11 convenient locations within the ballpark.
Each location will have one dispenser and stock levels in the dispensers, in locations both inside and outside of restrooms, are checked before and after every homestand, said Jonathan Vasquez, Senior Director of Park Operations. Particular attention is paid to whether a dispenser is running low and needs emergency restocking at the end of a series or homestand, Vasquez said. The Chicago White Sox are shouldering the cost of the dispensers and refills, Vasquez said, and the team views it as a typical budgetary line item.
You’re providing this product for free just like you would any other product, like toilet paper or soap dispensers, in restrooms. … You want to make sure you’re showing that there’s true value from a guest experience standpoint.
Jonathan Vasquez, Senior Director of Park Operations
The team could add more dispensers next year based on feedback from guests and staff this season, Vasquez said.
Citron Hygiene, the stadium’s hygiene service provider, monitors and refills the new dispensers, said Krista Plewes, head of marketing at Citron Hygiene. The White Sox will pay a flat fee for Citron Hygiene’s technicians to come in at least once a month for refills, with additional visits scheduled depending on volume, product usage and the number of baseball games in a given month, Vasquez said. This initiative replaces older period product dispensers that were difficult to maintain or service.
Creating a More Inclusive Stadium Environment
Free access to period products is the most recent initiative among many aimed at creating a more inclusive stadium environment. These initiatives, which increase comfort for every guest, were celebrated on Women’s Equality Day (August 26) along with programming in and around the ballpark.
Aunt Flow Period Party®
With help from White Sox front office staff volunteers and members of Youth Guidance’s Working on Womanhood (WoW), the organization held a pregame event where participants packed 20,000 pads into period kits to be distributed to young women from Chicago’s under-resourced neighborhoods.
Addressing period poverty and fostering a supportive community that promotes menstrual health and education, the event included remarks from Aunt Flow Founder and CEO Claire Coder.
The White Sox [have] a growing female fan base. It’s a powerful improvement of guest experience [when] fans have access to high-quality organic cotton period products, [as] the White Sox leans in to elevate this experience for women and female fans.
Claire Coder, Founder and CEO of Aunt Flow
WoW is a school-based, trauma-informed group counseling program that empowers young women by providing them with social-emotional support, academic guidance, and life skills to overcome personal and societal challenges.
