Michigan Women Shed Clothes for Hurricane Relief

October 26, 2005

The Associated Press

LUDINGTON, Mich. — After seeing the movie Calendar Girls a few years ago, a group of local women joked about creating a calendar featuring nude photos of themselves as gag gifts for their husbands.

But it took Hurricane Katrina to make them follow through.

Dubbing themselves the Disaster Housewives of Ludington, the 12 women — all in their 50s and 60s — posed sans clothing for a fundraising calendar.

"It went from our husbands to hurricane relief," said Cheryl Noll, one of the group. In the calendar, she's Miss December.

The 2003 film was based on the true story of 11 members of the District Women's Institute in North Yorkshire, England, who posed nude for a calendar to benefit leukemia research.

The Disaster Housewives of Ludington describe their endeavor as "very tasteful." They posed with props, including a beach blanket, a Christmas wreath, an umbrella and a flag.

The Ludington Daily News printed the calendar. Proceeds are being donated to the West Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Unlike in the film, where the women's husbands were none too pleased with their wives' decision to bare all, the Disaster Housewives of Ludington said their husbands were fans of the calendar.

Laurie Willson (Miss August), who took most of the photos, said her husband thought it was "really well done."

Wearing sashes identifying the month they represented, the women signed copies of the calendar during a public reception.

They said the experience has been worth the effort, and they had no regrets. "It was just a ton of fun," Willson said.