Growing up, I did my fair share of fundraising for various clubs and causes.

For example, to help raise money for my high school prom committee, I manned the concession stand at home volleyball and basketball games throughout the fall and winter months of my junior year. By the time spring rolled around, I could make nachos in my sleep, and most of my clothes were permanently infused with the scent of burnt popcorn.

It never occurred to anyone on the prom committee that perhaps there was a better, more odor-neutral way to raise the money we needed. Members of The University of Montana Psychology Club, however, put their creative minds to use to come up with a fresh idea for their latest fundraising effort.

Instead of baking cookies or selling magazine subscriptions, the students decided to create and sell a locally produced wall calendar. The title of the calendar — “Hunks and Hounds” — is pretty self-explanatory. Each month features a photo of a cute male “hunk” posing with a cute, adoptable pooch from the Humane Society of Western Montana.

In addition to giving the canines — and the Humane Society — some great public exposure, the calendar also benefits the animals financially. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from calendar sales will be donated to the Humane Society, with the rest going to the UM Psychology Club.

The calendars are available for $10 at Grizzly Grocery and El Diablo, both located at the intersection of East Beckwith and Southwest Higgins avenues in Missoula.

Brooke is a 2010 graduate of The University of Montana, where she ran track and cross country for the Grizzlies. She is currently working as a writer and editor in Missoula.

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