WMTV’s 5th Annual Diaper Drive raised 1,217,561 diapers in just one week for The Village Diaper Bank. The Madison station’s campaign collected 26,342 diapers and raised $190,595 in cash donations – $182,160 of that total in just one day.
The WMTV Diaper Drive benefits The Village Diaper Bank, which distributes more than 179,000 diapers per month to families in need in the southern Wisconsin counties of Dane, Green, Jefferson and Columbia, through 28 partner agencies. With their buying power, $1 can buy $3 worth of diapers.
“Diaper need is a growing problem in southern Wisconsin. Nearly one in two families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their baby or child clean, dry, and healthy. That’s why our partnership with WMTV15 News is so critical in our ability to eliminate diaper need,” said Jamie Weissburg, Executive Director of The Village Diaper Bank. “In the past five years, the WMTV Diaper Drive has provided nearly 6 million diapers to families. This initiative is about much more than diapers. It’s about supporting children’s development, strengthening family finances, and enabling parental employment. Diaper changes are a daily act with a profound impact. We’re eager to continue and grow this life-changing work together.”
The 2025 drive was held over a one-week period from Feb. 20 to Feb. 27. Those who donated diapers in-person could drop them off at 16 community drop sites. Two Men And A Truck then picked up those donations on the last day of the campaign and dropped them off at the Village Diaper Bank for volunteers to count and sort.
News stories during the week-long campaign highlighted the need and costs for families and explained that public assistance benefits cannot be used to purchase diapers.
“I’m so proud of the number of donations received at our community donor locations and the financial donations made on Match-Day,” said Don Vesely, WMTV 15 Regional Vice President/General Manager. “I’m humbled by the community sponsors who together created $75,000 in matching dollars. A special thank you to our WMTV 15 staff that promoted the event, volunteered, and educated our community about the need for more diapers.”
WMTV 15 News Director Jessica Laszewski said, “For the fifth year in a row, our viewers responded, and we couldn’t be more grateful. They maximized our one-day match—ensuring infants and toddlers get clean diapers and the stable, healthy start they need.”
