Millie Smith, 93, known as "Motorcycle Mamma." She's Miss August
Latest Senior Nudie Calendar Features Women 75 to 94
Atwood Cuties raising money for anniversary of
Townsend, Mass.
Jan. 19, 2005 Ranging in age from 75 to 94, the
17 ladies from the Atwood Senior Housing Center, decided to copy the
Calendar Girls and do a semi-nude calendar for 2005. "We're just as
good looking as them, so why not do it? And we're older, so it makes it
more unique," said Lu Porter, 75, who is Ms. January. "We're a lot older
than them," she added.
The ladies are going to the limits to help raise
money for the 275th anniversary celebration of their
hometown, Townsend, Mass., with the publication of the Atwood Cuties
2005 Calendar.
The calendar has gained them a lot of exposure,
which they did not have in posing for the calendar shots. They have been
in media reports across the nation.
The pictures are of the sprightly seniors nearly
naked. The grandmothers and great-grandmothers are baring almost. "Some
were a little squeamish, but got over it. They got out there in the
woods with nobody around. They were worried about their bra straps, all
of a sudden didn't care. We threw off everything -- blouses and all,"
said Porter.
Porter and her friends came up with the idea after
renting "Calendar Girls," a movie about a real life group of older
English women who made a nearly nude calendar for charity.
Porter told Diane C. Beaudoin of the Townsend Times
that her daughter in New Jersey, as well as the photographer of the
calendar, Photographs by Joanna, have sent some of the news clippings
about the calendar to Oprah Winfrey. "If she is interested, I know we
will hear from her," Porter said.
So far, the girls have received a call from the
publicist of the Tony Danza Show asking for some photographs. "This man
called and wanted information on us, so we could be on his show, which
is done in New York," Porter said.
Porter said all the adrenaline has caused her as
well as some of her friends to get pretty tired. "I know I was exhausted
after last week with all of the attention," Porter said. "I stayed in my
apartment for a couple of days to rest. It is quite the high from all
the attention we've gotten."
Another of the Calendar Girls, Hilda Tulley, was on
the University of Massachusetts radio station on Monday morning, Porter
said. "She did great, we're getting used to being interviewed," she
said.
"My month was August. I'm on a Harley motorcycle, so now I'm known as
Motorcycle Millie," said Millie Smith.
"My month is October. I'm a flying witch. I had on
my witch's cape and I was supposed to show my bra straps but they fell
down," said Beulah Greenough.
"I was the pilgrim lady. I had the turkey hiding me
here," said Miss November Viola Kenney. "We ate it afterward, so it was
nice."
"I'm Rita Quinn and I posed with apples," said Miss
September Quinn. "That's all I'm going to say."
At the Calendar Girls' last meeting, Porter said it
would be nice if someone would keep a scrapbook of this major event in
their lives. "It would be something we could just have when this
attention part is done."
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