A group of local women are forging ahead in their mission to fight breast cancer by promoting the heart of the tragic disease: the lives of vibrant, healthy and beautiful women.

Sisters Joslin and Darci Bernard, from Tacoma, were inspired to start a breast cancer fundraising effort when their own mother battled – and inevitably conquered – the vicious disease that affects thousands of women every year.

Last year, the duo rallied up a group of 12 of their friends, a photographer, and put together a sassy and sexy pin-up style calendar, aptly named “Babes for Boobs.”

This year, the group took on the challenge again, creating a second edition of the calendar, which highlights the natural beauty of 12 Pacific Northwest women, all of whom have been impacted in some way by breast cancer.

“I came up with this idea and said it half jokingly to Darci and she just ran with it. The next thing I knew we had a photographer, 12 girls lined up…and we just did it,” Joslin said.

Bernard noted some other successful breast cancer fundraiser calendars feature male models, appealing largely to the female market.

The $20 Babes for Boobs calendars can make a fun and meaningful holiday gift for men and women alike.

“We have a lot of women that purchase the calendar because of the cause, and obviously any man, a brother, uncle or college-aged gentleman would appreciate it,” Joslin added.

The 2012 “Babes For Boobs” features 12 professional-grade photographs of local women, all of whom have no previous professional modeling experience. The shots are classically inspired, tasteful images promoting each individual woman’s own natural beauty.

Babes For Boobs goal this year is to sell 1,000 calendars, which would generate $17,000 for local and national breast cancer research and prevention efforts.

“What we really want is to make people more aware of why the cause is such an important issue to everyone. This is just a bold way to say ‘this is an issue, an issue that impacts so many of us, and this is a great way to support the cause,’” Joslin said.

“You can something as silly as getting 12 of your friends to pose for a calendar and make a difference.”

To purchase Babes For Boobs 2012 calendar right in time for the holiday gift season, go to www.babesforboobscalendar.com.