A bare all calendar sets out to raise funds for community

The Bluff Oyster Festival is an important part of the Bluff economy, bringing in not just visitors who spend in local businesses but this year providing support to the Bluff community swimming pool through some of the Festival profits. 

The pool is in need of a major upgrade without which it will be forced to close.  Invercargill City Council has said it would commit up to $180,000 per annum towards operating and maintaining the pool if the Bluff community could raise $500,000 by June 30 and then a further $609,000 by the end of January 2011 to meet the cost of the pool's structural needs.  If the $500,000 is not raised by June 30 then the pool will not open for the new swimming season on 1 September 2010.

The Festival became a part of two initiatives to assist with the fundraising effort to upgrade the pool.

The first was the launch of a locally inspired 2011 calendar in which twelve Bluff fishermen bared it all for the sake of the town's pool.  The “Bluff Fisherman Bare It All” calendar is based on the “Calendar Girls” concept and will contribute $150,000 to the fundraising efforts.  Bluff women Lorraine Bowen and Jean Jablonski raised sponsorship from Bluff businesses which covered the cost of printing the calendars and Karen Johnson donated her photographic talents to the project.  $13,500 worth of calendars were sold at the event, with many of the models present to autograph their respective months for an additional gold coin donation.