Cross-Dressing For A Cure
It's not often you see a man so at home in a pink tutu. But Bob Carey isn't like most guys. Instead of being intimidated by this unorthodox outfit, he has found a way to make his love of pink tulle give back and help save lives.
The Tutu Project is a collection of funny, heartwarming and charming photographs that depict the artist frolicking in nothing but a tutu. He wears it while scaling mountains, hiking in the dessert, and hiding the subway. In every picture, he looks relaxed and completely at home in his ballet-wear. Billy Elliot has got nothing on this guy!
Though the project started as a joke, it has grown into something much more meaningful. In 2003, Bob's wife Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer; she has been fighting the disease for the past nine years. Instead of adopting a defeatist attitude, Bob realized that in many ways, laughter really is the best medicine. "Oddly enough, her cancer has taught us that life is good," he explains. "Dealing with it can be hard, and sometimes the very best thing—no, the only thing—we can do to face another day is to laugh at ourselves, and share a laugh with others."
How does he share the laughter? By selling prints of his lighthearted art and raising money for cancer research. Currently, he is selling signed fine art prints of his Tutu Project for $500 (which is a steal, considering each print is valued at $1,200). Bob also plans to publish a book of photographs, called simply Ballerina, which you can pre-order here.
The proceeds from his book go directly to funding breast cancer research and care. Bob's ultimate goal is to raise $75,000. Learn more—and help spread the word—by checking out TheTutuProject.com.
Visit The Tutu Project and tell us which photo is your favorite!