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Calendar Girls for ALS

Calendar Girls for ALS

Coming Together

Over the past year, an all female team of volunteers has created a highly acclaimed series of artistically-composed maple scenes which highlight the beauty of everyday life. The collection will be displayed at The Flying Pig Gallery in Algoma but is also being compiled into a fantastic 2016 calendar to raise money and awareness for an incredibly deserving nonprofit organization called Compassionate Care ALS.

This project is about giving back and bringing our community together to benefit a great cause. Smoky Lake and it’s volunteers/partners do NOT profit from this fundraiser in any way. 100% of the profit goes to Compassionate Care ALS. We welcome any businesses who would like to help sell these calendars in their storefronts. With your support, we can make this fundraiser a huge success! Please contact Angela at 920-226-0838 or [email protected] for more information.

Note: Sensitive areas of the body are always covered in the photographs.

Artist Statement

Many individuals who are living with ALS have told us that as their ALS progressed, their lives came into focus. It allowed them to see what is truly important in life. As a result, they have reminded us to seize the day! Live bold and fearless and open yourself up to seeing the beauty in everyday life.

Our models fully embraced these words when they volunteered for this collaboration. Their confidence and positive energy squashed the self doubt that holds so many of us back from pursuing our dreams. These women are sharp, witty, creative, fun… I see them as incredible role models. I feel incredibly privileged to have worked with them. May we all take their lead and embrace the advice we’ve received from those who are living with ALS: Live each day to the fullest. Help others. Be a positive force to those around you.


What is ALS?

ALS is also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It is a terminal illness that affects over 30,000 individuals in the United States alone. Every 90 minutes another person is diagnosed with ALS and another person dies from ALS. The disease causes progressive muscle weakness and paralysis; leading to loss of mobility, speech, the ability to swallow and ultimately respiratory failure. As the disease swiftly progresses, a person must give up more and more of their independence. Tasks which once seemed trivial become increasingly challenging and require assistance from others. Average life expectancy for ALS patients is 2 – 5 years.

Despite this horrific reality, we were inspired by the number of ALS patients who told us they considered themselves “lucky”. It seems that when a person loses so much, the true foundation of their happiness becomes more and more vivid. They have told us to be grateful, to be present  and to focus on the things in life that are truly most important. This fundraiser has proven to be a journey of sorts, because I have learned and grown so much from it. The more I learn the more I strive to take their advice: Take nothing for granted. Nurture your relationships. Seize the day.

Eric Johnson

We recommend checking out, “The Sugar Man”, a great article about Eric Johnson, our fellow sugar maker in New Hampshire who is living with ALS. The article has been posted on our website with permission from the author.

More links and quotes will also be shared throughout the calendar.


Who is Compassionate Care ALS?

Ron Hoffman
Ron Hoffman
Founder/Director of CCALS

Compassionate Care ALS logo
Our fundraiser beneficiary, Compassionate Care ALS, has been a holistic presence for both patients and caregivers of ALS. In addition to their home visits and support programs, CCALS also helps provide things like ramps, chair lifts, shower chairs and house cleaning; physical needs which ease the difficulty of living with ALS but are rarely – if ever – covered by health insurance. CCALS does all this without requiring families to fill out piles of paperwork. There are no hoops to jump through. No strings attached. CCALS just truly cares. It’s an organization that I whole-heartedly support. I was connected to this organization by our customer, Eric Johnson, who was diagnosed with ALS and has experienced the kindness of CCALS first hand.

Learn more at ccals.org.


How You Can Help

Calendar Girls for ALS
Calendar Girls for ALS
Sample photo from the calendar
  1. Purchase a Calendar (Just 25 dollars with FREE shipping!)
  2. Be a Calendar Dealer (Contact Angela. 920-226-0838)
  3. Donate To Compassionate Care ALS
  4. Spread the word! (Media interviews welcomed. Contact Angela at the contact info below. Founder Ron Hoffman of Compassionate Care ALS is also happy to do interviews.)

When you purchase a calendar, 100% of the profits will benefit Compassionate Care ALS. Smoky Lake and its volunteers/partners do NOT profit from this. Current Dealer List

 Angela’s Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 920-226-0838

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1 comment

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Amy Larder

May 27, 2023

My husband who had been diagnosed with Bulbar ALS disease for 2 years at the age of 63 had all his symptoms reversed with Ayurveda medicine from naturalherbscentre. com after undergoing their ALS/MND natural protocol, he no longer requires a feeding tube. God Bless all Lou Gehrig’s disease Caregivers. Stay Strong, take small moments throughout the day to thank yourself, to love your self, and pray to whatever faith, star, spiritual force you believe in and ask for strength. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you.

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