Greymates 2008 Calendar

Reflections

2007-12-31T05:48:00.000-08:00

It's December 31st, New Year's Eve, and it's a time to relect on the past year as we also anxiously anticipate what the new year may bring. It's definitely an exciting time!

During the last year the Greymates and Calendar Girls were very busy working out the details of their particular calendar "scene", securing necessary props, and calming their nerves as their photo shoot date neared. As has been posted in the past, the actual shoots were a fantastic time between all ladies involved and the Greymates as well. It appeared as if everyone had done this a million times before, which of course, we all know not to be the case at all. We were all "green" but very willing and cooperative, working toward that common goal - to produce the best Greymates calendar that we could possibly produce and sell it to the masses, all to benefit Southeastern Greyhound Adoption. From our stylist (Lauralee Shipp), our photographer (Starr Camp), to our graphic design artist (Kim Morris) and all the Calendar Girls and Greymates it took everyone's tireless efforts to make this possible.

And I have to say that I, personally, couldn't be prouder of our achievements. To date we have sold over 900 calendars and anticipate selling a few hundred more before it is all said and done. We appreciate everyone's support during the last three months as we began to sell our calendars far and wide. We have calendars in Canada, the UK, Australia, and I think probably every state in the US. Please continue to talk to your Greyhound comrades about the calendar as we all know word of mouth is the best possible advertising.

Thank you again for your continued support!! Happy New Year to each and everyone of you. One final question, "Do you have your 2008 Greymates calendar yet?" I do and I hope each of you do as well. If not, you know where you can purchase yours today (http://www.greymates.org/)!

Patti

It's Been Awhile

2007-11-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

It's been some time since anyone has posted or so it seems. We've been busy promoting the calendar and selling it to everyone we know and to scads of folks we don't know! It's been shipped to Canada, Australia, the UK and I think every state in the Union! We have a good mix of male and female buyers as well. So, continue to promote to your friends and family. We have few hundred more to sell! And I can't think of a better holiday gift than our calendar. Every home should have one!

Week Three and Going Strong

2007-10-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's been just about three weeks since the launch of the Greymates 2008 Calendar and how exciting it has been. We have posted about our calendar on every Greyhound list and forum out there that we can think of! Comments and feedback have been very positive. We even made the local news (see previous post about Wes Side Story).

As a result of our efforts, we have sold nearly 700 calendars which is almost half of our goal of 1,500! We're hoping for an influx of orders over the next few weeks which will wipe out our inventory causing us to have to place another printing order! So keep those orders coming and spread the word to all your greyhound friends.

The website address again is http://www.greymates.org/. Thank you for your support.

Pawtographs Anyone?

2007-10-14T18:00:00.001-07:00

Seka and I had so much fun at the yappy hour/media event today. While we were asked to autograph/pawtograph a bunch of calendars, Seka was not the pro that Remi was. Remi was dipping her paw in the ink pad, applying the exact amount of pressure to each calendar. She is a true diva. She even wore her dead-sexy garter today!

Wes Side Story

2007-10-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Wes Sarginson of 11Alive News called and wanted to interview a few of us for his segment, Wes Side Story. It had to happen during the week and he really pushed for it to happen that day plus he wanted Greyhounds to be in attendance. My first thought was, "I can't get anyone together with a dog on a weekday" but then I remembered Suzanne, our June Calendar Girl, was scheduled to deliver a presentation to her Rotary Club and the topic was Greyhound Adoption, our organization (SEGA), and then at the end she planned to promote the Calendar. Perfect, I thought except that it was then about 10:30 a.m. and her presentation would be between 12:15 p.m. and 1 p.m. Nonetheless, phone calls were made back and forth and before we could blink an eye, Wes Sarginson and his camera crew were headed to meet with Suzanne at the Rotary Club luncheon. Cindi (February Calendar Girl) joined them as well, with Greymate Ginger. The resulting interview can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/2gpwgm .

We're quite excited about our first news coverage and hope many viewers were able to see it. Mostly we hope people will consider Greyhound adoption in the future and will support the Calendar, as well.

A big thanks to Suzanne and Cindi for being there for the interview. They did us proud!

The Big Reveal

2007-10-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

It happened on Saturday at Greyfest and I personally believe the reaction was exactly what we expected. Most were thrilled and couldn't believe we had done such a thing for the Greyhounds. It was definitely the last thing the crowd expected to hear. We had touted the announcement as something "very special and exciting and something you just had to be there to hear for yourself" but we didn't give any other clues! It was certainly special and exciting.

During the introductions of the Greymates (the Greyhounds) and their ladies, I could hardly control my emotions because I was just so darn proud of our accomplisment and was so happy it was finally being shared with our Greyhound friends. And now the word is spreading across the nation . . . little by little. I hope every Greyhound household has a calendar in their home!

Help us spread the word as well. Remember, www.greymates.org. Thanks for your support.

Shock and Awe

2007-10-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

What an exciting day! Not only did we finally share our secret with all of the SEGC/SEGA members and show off all our hard work, but it was so nice to see all the Greymates and catch up today!

After the unveiling of the calendar, there was quite the buzz around Greyfest. It was cool to hear from many women who thought we were brave for "taking it all off" for such a good cause. I think we shocked a few people.

I hope you enjoy these few shots of the announcement. You can tell that my husband wasn't the photographer for our calendar with these candids! I can't wait to see you guys at the media event next weekend!

The Grey Carpet

2007-10-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am struttin' my stuff down the Grey carpet. Fans cheer for me "I love you, Beloki!" "Can I have your pawtograph?" My bodyguard clears a narrow path through the crowd, keeping me on lead a short distance behind. Flashes from the cameras blind me. A group of reporters shove microphones in front of me and ask questions. I answer "Yes, I am one of the September Greymates. The other September Greymate, Joseba, and I were adopted on Mother's Day back in 2004." "No, I did not go on a diet before the photo shoot. My incredibly fit and trim figure comes naturally." "No, actually, I do not lounge around all day like the calendar portrays. I prefer running fast." "Yes, I did practice for the photo shoot. I took a Clicker Training class to learn how to sit motionless for the photographer." "No, I will not profit from the sale of these calendars. All proceeds go to support Greyhound adoption." After I make my way through the masses of people, I join the other Greymates and take a seat under the tent. An audience of Greyhounds and their Forever Families look on in anticipation of the day's big event. And finally... after endless hours of hard work... the Greymates 2008 Calendar is revealed. ~Beloki

Beloki and Joseba are excited to enter the ranks of some of the most famous Greyhounds- not because they ran the oval the fastest but because they take a mighty pretty picture. See everyone at Greyfest.

Four Days and Counting

2007-10-02T04:16:00.000-07:00

Yep, four days and counting until the Big Reveal at Greyfest 2007. We are all "dotting the i's and crossing the t's" to make sure we have everything we need to made the Big Reveal most memorable for everyone in attendance at Greyfest.

The calendars are expected to arrive today which is excellent news. I'm particularly anxious to see the end result of the many months of hard work. I feel most certain that the Greyhound community will be especially pleased with the results of our efforts.

My own family was surprised at first and then very proud which means alot to me. You just never know what reaction you might get from others. In fact I most recently heard from a friend's boyfriend that he didn't believe our calendar would cause a stir at all. I beg to differ! Time will tell is all I can say!

PS - The calendars did arrive as expected. My, my - my entire house is filled with boxes of calendars and envelopes!

And there is more below.

Feeling Frisky!

2007-09-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's the cooler weather, or having freshly cleaned teeth, but I think Ginger knows...Greyfest is next Saturday! She has been jumping and running around with her fluffies like a puppy! Even dad, Jim, has gotten a rare weekend off from the airline to attend! Yeah, that means mom, Cindi, can volunteer to help out at the Silent Auction! Counting down the days!

Cindi and Ginger

And Oh The Details!

2007-09-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've updated my Treo so I can send and receive emails from the info@greymates.org email address. Yes, I'm now ready for the barrage of emails that will be coming my way! The website is coming along as well. Just a few more days and it should be ready for testing. It will go live October 6th, the day we do our "Reveal" at Greyfest as well as the day Dewey participants will see the finished product.

As well, we are each attending to last minute details including what we'll be wearing and what our Greyhounds will be wearing on the big day. Remi cannot wait to wear the black velvet jeweled collar that is on order for her. She will simply look stunning!

The Big Reveal

2007-09-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

By the time the general public reads this, our "big reveal" will be public. With that in mind, I just wanted to say how excited I am about this project. Since it was first mentioned to me, I have bought into the success that I know it will be. Actually, I don't think we have any idea of how successful this undertaking is going to be. Our calendar girls and their beautiful hounds will enhance any wall they will be hung on. Once again, I will say, how proud I am to be part of this unique fundraiser. Hope to see you all at Greyfest.

Suzanne and handsome Cooper

ps: whenever I put his bowtie on, his teeth start to chatter. I guess he's excited too.

The Countdown Is On

2007-09-19T08:21:00.001-07:00

We are nearing the launch of the Greymates calendar and it is definitely an exciting time. After more than 15 months in the planning and execution phases, the calendar is near reality. In fact, we should receive our first shipment from the printer toward the end of next week. Then, it's only one more week until Greyfest, our annual fundraising festival where we celebrate our wonderful Greyhounds. At that event we plan to "reveal" our calendar to our fellow Greyhound friends. We are very anxious to get past this point and get on with selling the product which most of us poured our heart and souls into it. We anticipate the public response to be overwhelming and are preparing ourselves in anticipation that this will be the biggest fundraiser our group has accomplished in it's over ten year history. Stay tuned for more from our very own Calendar Girls.