A group of ladies are baring (almost) all to raise money for a Michigan senior center with a special “risqué” calendar that goes on sale this month.
According to a recent report by Tony Geftos, the “Monroe Center… Naturally” 2026 calendar is the brainchild of Sandy Pierce, executive director of the Monroe Center for Healthy Aging in Monroe, Mich., around 40 minutes outside of Detroit. It features 14 of the center’s “finest women,” explained a Sept. 5 Facebook post.
“We had fun,” said one of the participants.
The director’s daughters helped take the photos, which use props to obscure any X-rated areas for the burlesque style calendar. One daughter took the photos and the other helped with props.
“She had to tape a leaf on my body,” Pierce laughed.
Pierce and the other 13 calendar girls, ranging in age from 59 to 82, are raising money to support the center. There, local seniors can socialize; take part in activities like euchre, wood carving and bingo; participate in wellness activities or hang out in the café.
“We love it here, it’s fabulous,” said one of the participants.
“I work up at the desk and I do what I can to help the center out, but this was ridiculous. Now they took my clothes,” deadpanned one of the other calendar models before breaking out in a small smile.
They aren’t the first group of senior ladies to shed some clothes for a good cause. In the late 1990s, a group of friends in England decided to make a Pirelli-style calendar to raise funds for blood cancer research after Angela Knowles’ husband John died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to Blood Cancer UK.
Although Knowles said the group just wanted to print 1,000 copies and didn’t expect selling them beyond their friend group, the calendar became a media sensation. Over the years, their calendars have raised millions and they even inspired the 2003 film “Calendar Girls” starring Helen Mirren.
In Michigan, people can buy their own “Monroe Center… Naturally” calendar during the launch party and signing event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 25 at the center, located at 15275 S Dixie Hwy, Monroe, Mich.