"Nudists in North America are Spending $2 Bills This Memorial Day," the press release read. "If someone pays for a product or service with a $2 bill this Memorial Day Weekend, it just could be a message from a member of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), who wants you to know that nudists are your neighbors, and that they have economic clout."
Memorial Day is next month, and the nudist, or naturist, group, is spreading around the $2 bills as a way both to demonstrate the economic importance of nudists and spark conversations with curious people. The AANR, which promotes recreation such as hiking, sports and swimming "without the discomfort of wearing clothes," says nude recreation and travel is now a $400 million a year industry.
"Because $2 bills are uncommon, AANR members hope to make themselves “visible” by spending them in local retail establishments and restaurants, demonstrating how important nudists are to the economy. It’s also an opportunity for anyone who enjoys nude recreation to strike up a conversation with someone who might be curious about nudism, but was perhaps reluctant to ask," reads the press release.
So, shopkeepers, pay attention this Memorial Day Weekend: If someone pays you in $2 bills, they just might be trying to tell you something.
Odd footnote: I currently cover business, but I've written about nudists at least twice before. While an intern in Washington, D.C., I wrote a story for a national wire service about a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals "Running of the Nudes" protest in front of the Spanish embassy, to protest Spain's annual running of the bulls. And while I was an intern at The Miami Herald, I wrote a story about a festival celebrating the anniversary of the opening of Haulover Beach, South Florida's nudist hangout.