First firefighter calendar in 10 years coming in hot

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — At an event on Friday, Oct. 18, firefighters from the Colorado Springs Fire Department will be on hand for a signing and release party for the hottest calendar of the year, all benefitting a cool cause.

The calendar will be officially released at an event on Friday at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub, with proceeds from the sales going to the Local 5 chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). The calendar was organized by Stephanie Richard and Lisa Raulie, the owners of Sparkles and Lace Boutique .

Richard said the collaboration between the boutique and the IAFF felt like a natural one, given that she and her co-owner’s families are both deeply ingrained in the daily lives of military members and firefighters.

“I am an Air Force veteran and my husband is retired Air Force,” said Richard. “Lisa’s husband is currently a Lieutenant with the Colorado Springs Fire Department.”

Their experiences as part of military and first responder families inspired them to create the Love My Hero collection of clothing for their boutique, which features the symbols and colors of military branches and first responder agencies.

The creation of the first firefighter calendar in nearly a decade was also born of the same passion.

“We donate often to local military and first responder organizations throughout the year. The calendar felt like a perfect extension of that mission,” said Richard. “Lisa’s husband was in the calendar 10 years ago and they haven’t had a calendar since then. We felt it was time to bring it back!”

So, the owners reached out to the IAFF and submitted a proposal, in the hope of helping raise much-needed funds for the firefighters’ union. Applications for the calendar opened in April, and boutique customers as well as families of the firefighters were encouraged to vote for the 12 finalists who would make the calendar. This year, a female firefighter is among the finalists!

Richard said she and Raulie wanted the calendar to showcase not only the manscape, but the landscape as well: the photos feature a variety of the beautiful natural scenery that Colorado is known for.

“We wanted to highlight the beauty of our surroundings; showcasing a definitive Colorado-feel for the calendar, and not what one may expect from a typical ‘Firefighter’ calendar,” said Richard.

Each firefighter was tasked to have a local business sponsor their “month” and the logo and business information for each is at the bottom of that firefighter’s month.

The firefighters have not seen their photos yet, nor do they know which month they are representing, so the release party will be a surprise for the attendees and firefighters alike. The event will be held at Jack Quinn’s on Friday, Oct. 18 from 6- 9 p.m., with firefighters on hand for signings.

And don’t worry if you can’t attend the release party, there are also firefighter signing parties planned in the future, with more to be announced:

• Oct. 26 – Westfax Springs (3043 W Pikes Peak Ave.) 2-6 p.m.
• Nov. 1 – Human Bean (3327 N. Academy Blvd.) 8-noon
• Nov. 2 – Urban Animal Brewery (3629 Star Ranch Rd.) 6-8 p.m.
• Nov. 13 – Jak’s Taproom (7715 Dublin Blvd #160) 6-8 p.m.

“The energy and enthusiasm from everyone involved made it a no-brainer for us to take on this project. We can’t wait for everyone to see it!” Richard said.

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