McGill men mug it for charity

Student calendar to raise funds for McGill Cancer Centre

Some are dark. Some are blond. Some could be the boy next door. Others are brooding and exotic. Seven are McGill students. All, of course, are handsome and photogenic.

Who are these guys? None other than the "Men of Montreal" -- 12 gentlemen who donated their handsome mugs towards the charity calendar that will benefit the McGill Cancer Centre. Kristen Bussandri, a McGill psychology student, was the dynamo behind the non-profit almanac. The "Men of Montreal" calendar, which features black-and-white headshots, is now available in select stores. Each calendar retails for $12 (including taxes) and could raise up to $5,000 in proceeds for the McGill Cancer Centre.

Dr. Michel Tremblay, director of the McGill Cancer Centre, says he's delighted that his institution was selected as the charity for the "Men of Montreal" calendar. "Beyond the funds that this initiative will collect for the McGill Cancer Centre," he says, "this calendar will remind people that our institution is fighting cancer 365 days a year."

Bussandri volunteered about 700 hours working and planning the "Men of Montreal" calendar. She's proud of her achievements, which included recruiting photographer Marcel Pinchevsky and makeup artist Marissa Nemes; critical players who volunteered their services for the project. She also convinced the Pegabo shoe chain to donate $500 towards the purchase of film and scouted the city for models, beginning at her alma mater to simplify her search.

Everyone came onboard the project because of Bussandri's vision of delivering a classy product for a good cause. "I didn't want to produce a calendar with a bunch of beefcakes with their shirts off," she says, adding she deliberately sought out models with differing aesthetics or ethnic backgrounds, "to please ladies with different tastes."

Chris Eich, a McGill Economic student, didn't need convincing to strike a pose for the calendar. He volunteered. "I wanted to take part because my mother is a breast cancer survivor and an example of strength," he says.

As for Bussandri, her motives for launching this calendar are simple. "I've lived an extremely privileged life," she says. "It's essential that I give back."

"Men of Montreal" calendars are now available at the McGill Bookstore (3420 McTavish St.) and at Paragraph Bookstore (2220 McGill College).

Names and vital statistics on the "Men of Montreal"

Mr. January: Martin Brisebois is an actor, body-double and model. Birthday: April 5, 1974. Height: 6'1.

Mr. February: Raymon Cespadas is a singer-songwriter and performs with his band Dibondiko. Birthday: August 31, 1978. Height: 6'8.

Mr. March: A Calgary native, Peter Tomkinson is a Kinesiology student at McGill University and a running back for the McGill Redmen football team. Birthday: August 23, 1982. Height: 6'1.

Mr. April: A Part-time model, Chris Eich is majoring in Economics and minoring in Environmental Studies at McGill. Birthday: April 4, 1980. Height: 6'0.

Mr. May: Tyler Chernin is majoring in Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University. Birthday: May 4, 1983. Height: 5'10.

Mr. June: Samuel Pinette aspires to be a professional soccer player and has done work in film and television. Birthday: May 4, 1977. Height: 6 feet.

Mr. July: Jacob Grzywacz is an Engineering student at McGill University. Birthday: October 21, 1981. Height: 5'11.

Mr. August: Jonathan McLaren is a Concordia University graduate and works in the field of information technology. Birthday: May 17, 1979. Height: 6 feet.

Mr. September: Jordan Nemes is a student at McGill University in the Faculty of Science. Birthday: May 4, 1982. Height: 6'1.

Mr. October: Elliot Pastor is a Political Science student at McGill University. Birthday: February 23, 1982. Height: 6 '1.

Mr. November: Ben Zoldan is a baseball player for Montreal's Junoir Élites and he aspires to work in advertising. Birthday: February 27, 1981. Height: 6'1.

Mr. December: Jamie Govan is a Management student at McGill University. Birthday : October 22, 1981. Height: 6'1.