One viral clip, more than a million likes, and close to $300,000 raised for breast cancer research and prevention later, a group of Kiwi firefighters is still reeling from the worldwide response.

Back in October, a crew of women firefighters from around New Zealand appeared in sports bras, grinning and goofing around in a cheeky Instagram Reel to promote the Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar. Queer women flocked to it, and the project exploded online.

Firefighter Nicole Koch—one of the minds behind the calendar—never imagined it would capture so much attention. She says the concept started off as a lighthearted joke during a shift last November. While bantering about making a calendar of their own, she found herself thinking, “How hard could it really be?”

“We put out an open call to women firefighters across Auckland, [New Zealand] to see who might be interested,” she told GO. “At first, we struggled to get enough women involved… [M]any of us in the service are used to keeping our heads down and fitting in, so there was definitely some initial hesitation. Once we shared the creative vision and explained the purpose behind the calendar, more women became excited and willing to be involved.”