Taipei: An event held Monday to donate funds for the care of stray dogs in Taiwan highlighted the role of Australian firefighters who are featured on an annual calendar. The Australian Firefighters Calendar, known for its calendars featuring photos of shirtless male firefighters, collaborated with the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (ANZCham Taiwan) to donate NT$80,000 (US$2,601.88) from its calendar sales to a stray dog shelter in Taipei.

According to Focus Taiwan, the press event in Taipei saw David Rogers, Director of the Australian Firefighters Calendar, discussing the selection process for the firefighters featured in the calendar. Rogers explained that firefighters are chosen from various regions across Australia, including Melbourne, Perth, and the Great Barrier Reef area. The primary criterion is an alignment with the charity aspect of the business, with an emphasis on being willing to contribute through donations or personal time.

Rogers emphasized that while physical fitness is a consideration, the most crucial factor is the character of the individuals. “They have to look fit and strong, which is important, but to me the most important thing is they’ve got to be good people,” he said, addressing the selection criteria for the calendar.

Alex Eldridge, a model featured in the Australian Firefighters Calendar, expressed the rewarding nature of the initiative. At the press event held at Taipei Expo Park, Eldridge stated, “I’m a dog lover myself, so it’s nice to be able to give back to charities that we resonate with.”

Continuing a tradition from the past four years, one NGO is selected annually as the beneficiary of the funds. This year, Dog Home Taiwan, a stray dog shelter in Taipei, received the NT$80,000 cash donation from ANZCham Taiwan. Additionally, Ezydog, an Australian manufacturer of dog accessories, contributed NT$80,000-worth of products to the shelter during Monday’s event.

Glenn Lio, Executive Director of ANZCham Taiwan, told CNA that the donation size is typically determined by the sales of the Australian Firefighters Calendar. The funds donated this year were generated from the sales of previous calendars, Lio noted.

On November 4, ANZCham Taiwan plans to host its Melbourne Cup Charity Luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Taipei for the fourth consecutive year to further its fundraising efforts for the care of stray dogs in Taiwan and other causes, Lio announced. Moreover, some Australian firefighters featured in this year’s calendar took part in the Taiwan Pride parade in Taipei, distributing free calendars.

The Australian firefighters are scheduled to engage in exchanges with firefighting squads in Taitung County and Kaohsiung later this week and are expected to attend the Melbourne Cup Charity Luncheon on November 4, Lio added.