We are proud to announce the first red-hat calendar, Timeless Treasures, to benefit teachers and children by supplying “FREE” school supplies to all qualified Arizona schools.  It is a known fact that teachers spend nearly 30 percent of their salary buying school supplies for the kids in their classes.  Mary Phairas, a member of the Decadent Dames, a group of senior women who wear purple with red hats, has a daughter and granddaughter who are both teachers.  She was astounded when she learned the amount of personal salaries teachers spend to purchase school supplies to help the children.  Arizona has over 1,400 schools in the state that will benefit from the “cause” known as “Treasurers 4 Teachers.”  It is a non-profit organization that is affiliated with the nationally known SHOPA Foundation.  It supplies paper products, pencils, pens, rulers, crayons, etc. that are seconds from the office supply companies in the United States.  It also contracts to purchase new supplies and furnishes its affiliates with these.

As a Queen Mum of a red hat chapter, Decadent Dames, I meet a lot of wonderful and interesting ladies.  During the past three years, I’ve always wanted to do a calendar because I love the colors red and purple together.  When the ladies get dressed-up with all their beautiful adornments, they take on a lighthearted and devil-beware personality.   I met Mary Phairas about two years ago and frequently heard her tell of her dream of starting a non-profit organization, Treasures 4 Teachers, that will supply teachers with FREE school supplies.  Some ask, “why at this time in your life would you be leading this crusade when the red hatters are supposed to not do anything but dress in purple, wear red hats and have fun?”  Red hatting is more than just going out with your girlfriends and having fun.  Friendship is a vital part of this organization and I would love to see Mary realize her dream and if I can help in some small way, then I’ll be happy.

Just to prove there was a need for the Treasures 4 Teachers, three

months into the school year, I received a plea from my granddaughter in Flagstaff, asking for donations to help purchase school supplies.  I knew we had to find a way to get the word out that our schools and teachers need help.  These children are our future and we have to help the teachers get the tools to ensure they are successful in teaching our future leaders.

If you’ve not seen some of these red hat ladies, who so generously donated their time and silliness to make this beautiful calendar, watch for them at restaurants, shopping malls, theaters and parades.  They greet middle age with humor, vitality and flamboyance.  They dress in full regalia that are comprised of purple attire with red hats and an abundance of accessories!  They come together in friendship and laughter that tickles the soul and amuses many onlookers.

This beautifully created 12-month calendar includes 22 women from 7 Arizona red hat chapters who removed their clothes to pose for this “nearly nude” calendar.  The idea came from a group of mature senior women in England who bare all to make a calendar to sell in hopes of helping a woman whose husband was ill from cancer.  The memories produced from this calendar are priceless.  We are all touched with the need to help our school children and hope the sales from our calendar will also help our teachers to aid in their students’ future learning.

I’d like to thank all the models who bared their souls for a worthy cause and the phenomenal photographer, Maureen Tollman, who spent hours placing Mother Plucker’s feathers in strategic places.  You are all the best-feathered friends a girl can have! 

For those of you purchasing our unique calendar, thank you for contributing to a good cause.  Our teachers will be forever grateful for your contribution. 
Janie Rausch, Queen Mum, Decadent Dames, Phoenix, AZ.

Order your
Calendar HERE