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The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has canceled its annual calendar full of six-pack abs and hunks due to lukewarm sales.
The Calendar of Heroes made its final debut in 2021 after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FDNY confirmed the cancelation to the New York Daily News (NYDN), saying the drool-worthy calendar wasn’t bringing in enough as it was in previous years. Previously, the $16 calendar would generate anything between $150,000 and $250,000 a year for the foundation.
‘Unfortunately, the calendar was not a great fundraiser in recent years,’ FDNY spokeswoman Amanda Farinacci told the NYDN. ‘The sales, and therefore the money brought in for the Foundation, declined significantly.
‘[The calendar] was always a fun project, but the Foundation is solely focused on fundraising to support fire and life safety education, and training for FDNY members.’
The FDNY confirmed the cancelation of the Calendar of Heroes, saying the drool-worthy calendar wasn’t bringing in enough as it was in previous years
Previously, the $16 calendar would generate anything between $150,000 and $250,000 a year for the foundation
The foundation is separate from the fire department, but it does raise money for equipment and training.
Although fans might be sad to see New York’s hottest firefighters not gracing their monthly 2023 calendar, those inside the department aren’t that sad to see it go.
‘We’re not weeping and gnashing our teeth that the calendar’s not coming out,’ an FDNY official told the NYDN.
The once profitable calendar, which debuted in 2003, was a running joke to those brave enough to actually fight fires.
‘We would always want to know when the tryouts were,’ an official said. ‘We’d send our heaviest guys down there and have them try to sign up.’
The Calendar of Heroes made its final debut in 2021 after a two year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic stalling it
More than 100 firefighters would try out yearly, according to the NYDN, for the 12 coveted spots.
In 2014, the calendar added women to the mix and three years later, the foundation split the calendar into two versions: the men and the women’s editions. And in 2019, they added animals to the mix.
The last edition was shot right before March 2020, when the world was thrown into Covid chaos and the Big Apple became a ghost town. During that time, firefighters had more emergency calls than ever, leaving them no time to strip for a sexy photo in front of a New York landmark.
In 2014, the calendar added women to the mix and three years later, the foundation split the calendar into two versions: the men and the women’s editions
Late last year, just as they would have been gearing up for another photoshoot, the foundation scrapped the calendar entirely and said there’s no plans for a 2024 calendar
However, they’re not completely opposed to bringing back the calendar if there is demand for it. ‘If it does, we’ll be sure to get the word out,’ an official said
‘We had other things to do at the time,’ an official told the NYDN.
Late last year, just as they would have been gearing up for another photoshoot, the foundation scrapped the calendar entirely and said there’s no plans for a 2024 calendar.
However, they’re not completely opposed to bringing back the calendar if there is demand for it.
‘If it does, we’ll be sure to get the word out,’ an official told the NYDN.
More than 100 firefighters would try out yearly for the 12 coveted spots
The calendar took a break during the COVID-19 years, as firefighters were dealing with an influx of emergency calls
The calendar first made its debut in 2003 (pictured)
Leslie Silbert, whose cat was once photographed for the calendar, hopes they’ll move the hunky men and fit women to social media and make it ‘more personal, with short videos instead of just stills.’
‘Last month I shared a new Australian calendar online — foxy firefighters posing with different kinds of animals — and people swooned so hard for them. Including me!’ she told the NYDN. ‘But there’s something nicer about doing said swooning for our local fire foxes.’
The foundation is now focusing on its upcoming event 1st Annual FDNY Foundation Climb to SUMMIT, where people will raise money while racing up 1,100 feet to the top of the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt building in Midtown.
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