Shirtless firefighters and adorable animals? Count us in!
The Australian Firefighters Calendar is back for its 29th year, and the 2022 feature is hotter than ever. The group is doing something a bit different as they release six different editions of the world-famous calendar series, which features Australian firefighters striking poses with cute animals.
The editions include the classic calendar that shows solo shots of the firefighters and four animal editions—cats, dogs, horses, and mixed animals—where the mighty men are joined by cute creatures, including native Australian species.
And for the first time ever, the calendar will be treating its fans to a summer edition, which features firefighters donning swimsuits instead of their work gear and enjoying the beaches of Australia. Australia’s fittest firefighter, Matt Haydon, graces the cover of the summer calendar.
But the thing that remains constant is the calendar’s pledge of goodwill. As always, every edition donates its proceeds to charity.
Previously, the recipient of the support has been Australian nonprofits, but since the calendar has a worldwide fanbase, the series is expanding its charitable efforts internationally.
The calendar will be distributed outside Australia for the U.S. market and printed in Dallas, Texas, before being disseminated for U.S., Canadian, South American, and Asian supporters.
Another first for the Australian Firefighters Calendar is its partnership with the U.S.-based Greater Good Charities. They aim to support the organization’s Rescue Rebuild program, which helps animals like those seen in many of the calendar’s spreads.
The program is dedicated to renovating domestic violence shelters, animal shelters, and homeless shelters so that humans and animals in need can receive the best care possible.
One of the projects that Greater Good Charities will support is the “Lost Our Home” renovation. The group’s rescue team will execute the project with the Jackson Galaxy Project. Existing rooms in the shelter will be redesigned to accommodate animals requiring care after suffering from domestic violence.
Lesley McCave, the director of partnerships at Greater Good Charities, said in a statement:
“The Greater Good Charities are so excited to be partnering with the Australian Firefighters Calendar, we have been a huge supporter of their work through our social media channels for years now. This will be the start of a long-lasting partnership on charity projects across the U.S.”
The decision to support U.S. charities was made, in part, as a show of gratitude for the generosity that American animal lovers showed during Australia’s tragic 2019-2020 bushfire season.
The profits from the calendar’s fans in the U.S. benefited Australia’s Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital. It helped the facility give the best care to many wild animals, including the numerous koalas severely injured by the deadly fires.
“When the bushfires occurred earlier this year, I had a nine-week-old baby at home and felt helpless for all the wildlife that were affected. When this position popped up on my computer, I applied straight away as I felt I could really try and make a difference,” Dr. Bree Talbot, a wildlife veterinarian at the hospital, said at the time.
“The support the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital received from the U.S. was phenomenal and it continues to this day. The funds have enabled us to start building another mobile hospital to support our wildlife in the event of further wildfires,” CEO Stephen Van Mil of the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital said.
The hospital will also receive proceeds from the Australian Firefighters Calendar’s sales for 2022, along with several other charities.
Since 1993, the group has raised $3.2 million in total! What’s not to love about this calendar? Click here to order your own.
You can learn more about the Australian Firefighters Calendar by visiting its Facebook and Instagram pages.
Watch behind-the-scenes video from the 2022 calendar wholesome shoots below:
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