TORONTO, CANADA – The Men of Curling are back, modelling their high-performance physiques in a new, high-quality 2018 wall calendar featuring 15 athlete models representing five countries.
Each athlete’s photography was designed and shot according to his own specifications, in conjunction with a volunteer photographer from his community. In addition to online sales, each athlete will also be selling units to raise funds for a charity or cause he has personally selected.
“I was honoured to get the call and I’m thrilled to raise money for two amazing causes,” said Team Kevin Koe third Marc Kennedy, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist whose image adorns the 2018 cover. “This is all about dedication and desire and these are things we all share as athletes; but we are also people who want to help make a difference to the lives of others.”
Photo: Marc Kennedy on the cover of the 2018 Men of Curling Calendar
Kennedy, whose team placed second at a World Curling Tour event in Edmonton yesterday, is raising money for two causes: the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Simply Supper Helps, an Edmonton community outreach group.
The calendars are on sale now at menofcurling.com for CDN $29.95 (U.S. $34.95). Free shipping is also available to curling facilities that wish to sell the product to their members.
No less than seven of the eight featured Canadian athletes will battle in December for the right to represent Canada at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Of the remaining seven international athletes in the calendar, one has been confirmed to represent Great Britain in Korea; two will compete in their national (U.S. and Swiss) Olympic trials, and Team Ulsrud – the first full team of athletes to appear together in a curling fundraising calendar – will either be appointed to represent Norway in Korea or will face a domestic playoff series depending on results at next month’s European Championships.
The calendar also features colour-coded event listing mapping the full 2018 year of curling championships, tour events, development camps and other notable occasions.
The 2018 Men of Curling and their charitable causes are:
Brett Gallant – Team Brad Gushue – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – raising funds for KidSport PEI (kidsportcanada.ca)
Braeden Moskowy – Team Reid Carruthers – Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada – raising funds for the Sansdra Schmirler Foundation (sandraschmirler.org)
Tyrel Griffith – Team John Morris – Kelowna/Vernon, British Columbia, Canada – raising funds for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (bcchf.ca)
Kirk Muyres – Team Steve Laycock – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – raising funds for Mental Health in Agriculture (1-800-667-4442)
Chris Plys – Team Heath McCormick – Blaine, Minnesota, USA – raising funds for Project Joy (facebook.com/projectjoynorthland)
Ryan Fry – Team Brad Jacobs – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada – raising funds for the Capital Projects Fund of the Community First Curling Centre (communityfirst.curling-club.ca)
Ryan Harnden – Team Brad Jacobs – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada – raising funds for the Capital Projects Fund of the Community First Curling Centre (communityfirst.curling-club.ca)
Benoît Schwarz – Team Peter de Cruz – Geneva, Switzerland – raising funds for the Greenhope Foundation (greenhope.ch)
Colin Hodgson – Team Reid Carruthers – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – raising funds for the Smiles Thru Lindsey Foundation (facebook.com/SmilesThruLindsey)
Marc Kennedy – Team Kevin Koe – Calgary, Alberta, Canada – raising funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (cbcf.org) and Simply Supper Helps (simplysupper.ca/helps)
Kyle Smith – Team Kyle Smith – Perth, Scotland – raising funds for Parkinson’s UK (parkinsons.org.uk)
Team Thomas Ulsrud – Thomas Ulsrud, Torger Nergård, Christoffer Svae, Håvard Vad Petersson – Oslo, Norway – raising funds for Right To Play (righttoplay.com)
The 2018 Men of Curling Calendar is a co-production of The Community Fundraiser and The Curling News. Additional fundraising revenues will be directed to the Curling Canada Foundation.
Click to read at The Curling News.