Contestants Jeremy Sanders and JR Gabbard, MC Thom Grant, and winner Steve Rezentes. More than $1,200 was riased from the cruising primal crowd of charity supporters. Photo by Rink.

A Primal Benefit for the AEF and the PRC

A crush of primal, handsome men with lots of exposed tattooed skin, bulging muscles, and panther-like stances and movements welcomed the kickoff for the 2011 Bare Chest Calendar at the Powerhouse bar on Jan. 21. The high tension contest was a benefit for the AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF) and the Positive Resource Center (PRC). The AEF provides financial assistance to people disabled by HIV/AIDS, and the PRC provides comprehensive benefit counseling to the same individuals.

The Powerhouse is well known as a prime location for charity fundraisers. Stunning and generous manager Scott Peterson takes a strong interest to help out non-profits. Fantasy men bartenders Jose Guevara, Michael Vega, and Carlton Paul worked shirtless, quickly, and with a smile. The stiff drinks provoked the guests to grab each other and kiss passionately, engaging in what would be seen as foreplay in some states.

PRC executive director Brett Andrews met and greeted in the throng, and the AEF’s Christian Dumais was on hand to supervise James Poole and other raffle volunteers. Representatives from sponsor Miller Beer and five alert judges were introduced and thanked by master MC Thom Grant.

Photographers Bill Weaver and Rich Stadtmiller feverishly stalked the hunks, and the hunted included a shirtless Pearls Over Shanghai star Steven Satyricon, Grand Duke Oliver, and actor/composer Tom Orr.

The mass of cruisers jumped to attention and the loud raucous conversations evaporated when the three desirable contestants were introduced. Redhead Jeremy Sanders, studly JR Gabbard, and earthy Steve Rezentes, who won the contest, presented themselves as guys who would make the maximum effort to sell the chest calendars and work events relentlessly to raise $100,000 this year with the other calendar men for the two beneficiaries. The contest is geared to be a leather event, and the symbol of the calendar men is a leather vest worn by the winners on parade floats, fair booths, and at bar fundraisers. And the vest is the essence of fetish date bait, and hot guys paw at them obsessively, hoping to get lucky.

A climax of the event was MC Grant announced that more than $1,300 had been raised at the teeming bacchanal, and there was a thunderous applause.