Female firefighters donated $167k to breast cancer research after their calendar sold out in a day — they're at it again for 2027

“The guys have always had their own calendar, and we thought, why not us too?” career firefighter and co-organizer Nicole Koch told local outlet, Stuff, in 2025 leading up to the launch of the 2026 calendar. “We work hard and take our jobs seriously, so this was a chance to do something fun while raising money for a cause that matters.”

Now, the Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar will return with a 2027 edition later this month on Oct. 28, following the initial viral social media campaign that attracted millions of views and generated interest from prospective buyers around the world.

“For a long time, the question was how to celebrate strength and femininity without being oversexualised,” Koch told The Straits Times. “Now feels like the right time to show that we can honor both our profession and our femininity while supporting a cause that matters.”

A viral teaser video sparked international demand

The firefighters initially hoped to sell 5,000 calendars, according to Stuff. But before the product officially launched in October 2025, the women shared teaser videos and behind-the-scenes footage of their photoshoot on Instagram — and the response was immediate.

One promotional video initially garnered nearly 17 million views, helping introduce the project to audiences far beyond New Zealand. The exposure translated into international interest, and the account grew from approximately 500 followers to 30,000 overnight, eventually reaching more than 70,000 followers around launch, according to 1News. At the time of writing, the Instagram account has amassed 142,000 followers.

“We’ve been getting messages from all around the world,” Koch told 1News. “It’s actually been really overwhelming.”

After the initial print run sold out last year, the campaign continued as the team arranged additional printing to meet high demand. By the end of the fundraising effort, more than 15,000 calendars had been sold worldwide, generating NZ$298,000 for Breast Cancer Cure, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

“We chose to support the Breast Cancer Cure because we wanted to focus on a cause that directly impacts women,” Koch shared in a Fire and Emergency statement. “Breast cancer is a widespread issue, and many of the wahine involved in this project have personal connections to it — whether through loved ones who have battled the disease or are currently undergoing treatment … This cause is not just important to us — it’s close to our hearts.”

The calendar’s success became a global case study

What began as a side hustle among colleagues has ultimately become a global case study in how even a relatively small creative venture can capture an international audience.

Proceeds benefited breast cancer research, a cause with personal significance for many of the participants. Firefighter Samara Pepperell, for example, spoke openly about her mother’s experience with breast cancer with The Straits Times.

“Mum’s journey taught me how powerful hope and community can be,” she said. “This calendar is our way of paying that forward.”

But getting the project off the ground wasn’t as easy as the calendar’s eventual success might suggest.

Koch told GO Magazine that the team was initially met with hesitation when recruiting participants because many women in the fire service were accustomed to “keeping [their] heads down and fitting in” in a traditionally male-dominated profession. Women account for only 6% of career firefighters in New Zealand, and the first female firefighter in the country, Anne Barry, didn’t get her start until 1981 after a multi-year human rights campaign.