It’s a Saturday, it’s been five days since your (hopefully not disappointing) Valentine’s Day and something spicy remains in the air. If you have this buzz, you might want to know about the release of the 2022 Trinity Cancer Society naked calendar. This collection of Trinity’s hottest models, sports stars and society celebrities is now available to purchase. All proceeds go to the Irish Cancer Society.
Tara McNally is the chair of CancerSoc. Speaking about which sizzling campus stars can look forward to seeing, she said it includes “a lot of the biggest sports clubs and societies that have been involved every year plus some new ones”. When asked for some exciting specifics, she says that rugby will be featured per usual, and climbing society is also involved, since “their photo is always great on the climbing wall”.
The calendar raises “about €300 per year”, and any amount counts when “it’s all for a very good cause”. “This year we’re hoping to up that”, McNally says. CancerSoc raises “a couple grand every year”, according to the chair, and “everything that we raise goes straight to the Irish Cancer Society, and then it goes towards specifically what they need”.
“I don’t know how many people really use calendars anymore because everyone has their phone, but obviously people buy it because it’s funny or your friend’s in it.”
She also thinks “it’s also something, where in 20 years you’ll look back like: ‘Oh, that was so funny’ and look at all these like random societies and clubs that would never coordinate”.
The society has been doing the calendar for several years, following leads from other cancer organisations in doing naked calendars for fundraising. “Ever since I’ve been involved in the society, it’s been a very exciting project, like obviously a [regular] calendar would still sell, but the naked calendar is, you know, entertaining.”
“It symbolizes quite a lot of bravery to have that out there. And I’m always in awe of everyone that’s willing to participate because it’s not the easiest thing to do, I don’t think.”
“Usually we have Breast Cancer Awareness in October for the month, which is quite busy”, McNally says. “Straight after that, at the end of October, we usually start reaching to societies.”
Then, while the rest of the world layers up, they spend their winter months stripping down.
The photoshoot wraps up early in the second semester. “We always aim to have it ready by RAG week, so we can sell it during the launch party during that week.” As of now, “we’re just wrapping up this week and just getting in the finishing touches. We’ll aim to have it done for Friday, when we’re having a launch party”.
“Usually we would either do [the photography] ourselves, or else DUPA have done it before”, but this year the photographer was a friend of the society, Mika Äijälä. “He’s quite into photography so they’ve come out really well.”
Speaking about the society itself, McNally first got involved on Daffodil Day, a much-loved annual drive for cancer research. The society hosts an event for this day each year.
Regarding the society’s serious image, McNally notes that “obviously it’s a very scary word, and I think when people hear the name of the society they’re even a bit like ‘ah, what’s that?’” Despite that, she wants people to know that “it’s definitely a really fulfilling thing to do; and I think the main reason I love it is because it’s obviously for such a good cause, but you know we’re doing it in a fun way while we’re in college.”
Her favorite part about the society so far has been “to get so much back from it, and make money that you know is going to such a good cause, and for the Irish Cancer Society to be so grateful to us for the work we do, I think that’s my favourite part. It never really feels like a chore, it’s just like we’re having good fun and meeting people and we’re having nights out and stuff. But at the end of it, we’re making this money for such a good reason.”
CancerSoc’s calendar is available to purchase either online or in the Arts Block. Students can get involved in the committee or donate to the cause through the link in the society’s Instagram bio.
