Vote for hottest Lowcountry firefighters for next year’s calendar

Mark this down on your 2017 hottest Lowcountry firefighters calendar: voting for next year’s calendar pin-ups ends May 10.

Twenty-six Charleston-area firefighters are vying for one of 15 spots in the 2018 Charleston Animal Society’s annual firefighter calendar, and they’re leaving it up to you to choose which ones those will be.

This means that you have just under two weeks to be a hero and rescue those firefighters who are currently coming in last. Or just under two weeks to vote for the firefighters already at the top of the ladder. Or just under two weeks to donate to a worthy cause, which is Toby’s Fund, Charleston Animal Society’s medical fund to treat abused, neglected and abandoned animals.

“Votes” are tallied by the amounts donated to each firefighter. The minimum donation is $10.

While none of the 26 firefighters lists their hometown as in Beaufort County, I suggest taking a gander at the contestants anyway.

The calendar, which was first published in 2014, has caught lots of national attention in the past few years. It was ranked No. 7 of the Best Firefighter Calendars for 2017 by FireCritic.com (you should see some of these other calendar pictures; they make Charleston’s firefighters look like they’re wearing turtlenecks and snowsuits). The Charleston calendar, which sells thousands of copies a year, has been featured on CNN, NBC’s “Today” show, Fox News’ “The Five” and “Fox & Friends.”

Last year, People magazine wrote about Mr. March, who befriended the owner of the dog he posed with for the calendar. The dog’s owner, a Marine sniper who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was hospitalized and eventually asked Mr. March to adopt the dog.

I dare you to get through that story without crying. I have not done it justice here.

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Vote for hottest Lowcountry firefighters for next year’s calendar."