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Firefighter photo calendar raises money for good cause

HAMILTON COUNTY (WISH) — A group of volunteers from Hamilton County are getting a lot of attention on social media and it’s all for a good cause.

The firefighters are hoping to raise money for the Hamilton County Fallen Firefighters Memorial in downtown Noblesville.

Some of the firefighters told 24-Hour News 8 they were a little hesitant at first with the idea of posing for a 2016 calendar.

The calendars went on sale just a couple of days ago and they have since sold $10,000 worth of calendars.

“I’m shocked at how much attention that we’ve gotten,” said firefighter Jared Shaughnessy of the Fishers Fire Department. “It’s very surprising.”

12 firefighters from Hamilton County spent some time in front of the camera back in August for a photo shoot.

Monthly spreads from the 2016 Firefighters Calendar have been circulating social media with an overwhelming response.

“Ten years ago before social media it was hard to get the word out about this, and now with social media we’re getting attention from out of state and it’s been phenomenal,” said Shaughnessy.

Shaughnessy said they had to go through somewhat of a casting call, submitting a head shot before the final selection.

“We had a six weeks notice before the photo shoot so it was a very little time to prepare,” said Shaughnessy. “So I started eating chicken and cutting down on the carbs right away.”

Shaughnessy wasn’t the only one preparing for the photo shoot.

Firefighter Justin Cox from the Carmel Fire Department also took part in the photo shoot.

“They gave us a pretty short notice. Some fireman stays in better shape than others,” Cox said. “I had let myself go maybe a little bit more than I wanted too. “I really had to kick into gear. I actually had a personal trainer kind of help me out and help me with my diet, workout routines, and also my cardio.”

Firefighters from Zionsville, Noblesville, Westfield, and Carmel jumped on board with the idea.

“When we’re there taking the photos, they’re having us put in awkward positions and telling us to flex and you’re just kind of like, I don’t know what to do,” said Cox. “But we just did the best we could. I just try to help out the cause.”

Most said their wives and girlfriends have been very supportive throughout the process. Other firefighters are also showing their support as well.

“My phone is starting to blow up with other firefighters now really starting to give us some good shots, which we knew and it’s for a good cause which was worth doing,” said Tim Griffin of the Carmel Fire Department.

Griffin is a father of four girls, ranging from the ages of 7, 5, 3, and 1.

While he stays busy watching his girls, he said he still finds time to get a work out in.

“I started working out at 5 a.m. I get up and get the workout done before I come to work. That way I’m ready to go and it’s out of the way,” said Griffin. “Now it’s just kind of part of my routine.”

Griffin said his wife did have a special request before the photo shoot.

“The only thing she asked was, ‘hey, make sure you get a picture the day you’re doing it,’ and so they took a picture or two on my phone when they were doing a shoot,” said Griffin. “Now when I call her that pops up on her phone so yeah, it’s been good actually at home.”

The Noblesville Fire Department Auxiliary came up with the idea for the calendar. Organizers said the proceeds from the calendar will go toward a center piece for the memorial. The bronze statue will cost around $30,000.

Click here to order the calendars and to learn more about the fallen firefighters memorial.

You can also like their Facebook page by clicking here.