Gutsy medical students stripped down for artists all in the name of charity.
It's the seventh annual Doctors & Derrieres fundraiser, an initiative that sees medical students pose nude for local artists, who then auction off the sketches and paintings for charity. The money raised goes to Change for Children's Emergency Social Health Fund & Materinity Care, which provides access to medicine and health care for rural communities in El Salvador.
"We have to bring attention to the people of the world who don't have as great access to health care as we do," said Daniel Friedman, a first-year medical student. "If it's as simple as taking two hours on a weekend to nude model, then throw this great auction, that's the least we can do. As future medical professionals, I think it's important now and in the future to draw attention to these global initiatives and raise money where we can and help out where we can."
Friedman wasn't expecting to model, but when the desperate call came for an extra male model, he decided to strip down.
"I think it's a great experience, especially as a medical student," said Friedman. "We expect our patients to disrobe for us to do physical exams and we don't think twice about it. So it's a great way to put ourselves in their shoes. Also I think when you're doing something like nude modelling it's a loud way to draw attention to the cause."
The works of art will be on display and up for auction Friday, April 27 at Enterprise Square between 7- 11 p.m.
This year, the artists who donated their time and artwork for the cause are: Dwight Allot, Bonnie Bigley, Ross Bradley, Margaret Braun, Chris Chalifoux, Lorraine Cottrell, Fran Cuyler, Gerry Dotto, Crystal Driedger, Mitch Fortier, Sharon Moore Foster, Dinorah Garcia, Roger Garcia, Eric Gravel, Edmund Haakonson, Peter Harasymiw, Eileen Heidler, Gary Hotson, Nickelas Johnson, David Johnstone, Beata Kurpinski, Amy Loewan, Jonathan Luckhurst, Trudy Mason, Corissa Spring O'Donnell, Rebecca Pickard, Bob Prodor,Caitlin Sian Richards, Pedro Rodriguez, Greg Swain, Raymond Theriault, David Thomas, Keith Turnbull, Jodi Tychkowsky, Darren Woluschuk, Gabe Wong, Amanda Schutz, Ritchie Velthius and Change for Children founder, Hank Zyp.