The likelihood of photographer Al Tucker shooting pictures for the annual West Virginia Scenic Calendar was slim to none early in the year. The calendar serves as an annual holiday charity project for the Band of Brothers group that aims to help children throughout the state.
But the COVID-19 pandemic changed Tucker’s thinking and made it “imperative” for the group to do something to “bring some sunshine into as many lives as we can this Christmas season.”
“This year, due to the ravages of the pandemic and the darkness it has wrought, the need to pursue love and help the most vulnerable has skyrocketed. There is no way that as a group, the Band of Brothers can sit idly by and do nothing. We must pursue love,” Tucker wrote in a Facebook post earlier this month where he announced the resumption of the annual calendar and fundraiser.
In addition to focusing the charity efforts on local children, this year the group is also turning its sites to helping those in nursing homes. Tucker explained the move saying that there are few people who are in need of an expression of love at this moment more than nursing home residents.
“We have been told residents not only fear this insidious virus that sadly has taken way too many of them, but loneliness and sadness pervades as many feel abandoned. I have been told stories that would bring tears to your eyes,” he wrote.
He added that the response from nursing homes throughout the states has been “amazing.”
“They are so excited that we are planning to help bring a little ray of sunshine into their residents’ lives. We don’t know how many nursing homes we will be able to help. But we are going to try to do as many as we can,” Tucker said.
The group is hoping to raise $15,000 in calendar sales in order to benefit nursing homes. Information on how to purchase and sell the calendars can be found here.
“You will note the sunburst on the cover [pictured above],” Tucker explained. “You and I get to see beautiful sunsets like this all the time. I chose this photo as it captures the kind of light that we want to shine in on as many nursing homes as possible.
“With your help we will.”
