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Pin-Ups For Vets Founder Gina Elise is on a mission to boost morale and show appreciation for sacrifices made by wives of active duty and deployed service members.
LOS ANGELES, California–February 10, 2012—On the morning of February 10, 2012, four deserving military wives from So.California will be chauffeured in a limousine, donated by Exclusive Sedan Service in North Hollywood, CA, and taken to the scenic Virginia Robinson Gardens at 1008 Elden Way in Beverly Hills, Califronia, where from 9:30 a.m. to 3 pm, they will styled by the Classic Glamour Dolls team and then photographed in the breathtaking garden settings. The photos and video captured during this special event will be a wonderful momento for the wives, as well as for their husbands, who are all active duty service members.
Gina Elise, CEO and Founder of “Pin-Ups For Vets”, an annual award-winning pin-up calendar project benefitting hospitalized Veterans is joining forces with the styling team of Classic Glamour Dolls and Los Angeles photoghapher Marcus Menchaca on February 10th to give four lucky military wives from Southern California a day they won’t forget. Sweet Romance, a vintage jewelry line based in LA has also donated some beautiful pieces for the wives to wear in their photos and also take home as a keepsake from the day. The wives will end the day at a surprise dinner donated by The Stinking Rose. North End Pizza in Los Angeles will be catering a delicious lunch for the military wives during the photo shoot.
“We wanted to boost the morale and show appreciation for the sacrifices made by these incredible wives of active duty service members,” said Pin-Ups For Vets Founder Gina Elise. “We put up a YouTube video on the internet asking our military wives in Southern California to submit letters or videos to tell us about their personal lives as military wives and why they would like to be “Pin-Up For A Day” in this contest.”
Elise explains, “We received many very touching letters from these special military spouses.”
One wife, who is also an Army Veteran herself elaborates, “ I guess I got a little caught up in how proud I am to be a military wife and support our troops and vets. I would LOVE to be a pin-up for a day because it has been a secret passion of mine. I think it comes from growing up with my grandparents telling me stories from back then. I found out years after my grandmother passed away that she used to be a vaudeville dancer. And yes she was a pin up! I have always thought pin-ups and actresses from that era to represent iconic beauty. They represent glamour, sophistication and a sexuality that is all Hollywood. As a military wife who struggles with the everyday demands of work and family in these tough times. I don’t get to feel glamorous, or sexy, or sophisticated. I work 40+ hours a week to take care of my family and home. We all have our worries and stress. I know mine are not as bad as others. I have a wonderfully blessed life. Being picked to be Pin-Up for just one day would allow me to become part of the glamour of yeasteryear and forget the everyday world for just one day.”
One husband who is a Soldier, nominated his wife saying, “I truly believe my wife deserves to have this opprotunity because she always puts the needs of others before her own. And I am asking now, that you too share her beauty and her story with the world. She would never do this for herself. Which is why I am writing you and not her. She does not even know I am doing this for her. So it would be a wonderful suprise. Especially since she has always loved pin-up girls and so do I.”
“With much difficulty, we selected four deserving winners, who will each be styled with a unique pin-up look and then photographed on gorgeous grounds of Virginia Robinson Gardens. It is our way of giving thanks to these wives who sacrifice daily. These four military wives are the spouses of service members representing the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force,” explains Elise.
February 14, 2012
Troops’ and Veterans’ Favorite Pin-Up Girl is on a mission to visit hospitalized Veterans in every state in the U.S.
BOISE, Idaho, February 14, 2012 — Gina Elise, CEO and Founder of “Pin-Ups For Vets”, dubbed by America’s deployed troops and Veterans as “The Calendar Angel ” and “The Betty Grable of A New Generation” is making personal bedside visits and delivering appreciation gifts to the Veterans hospitalized at the Boise VA Medical Center, her 33rd hospital stop on her national 50-state VA Hospital Tour. She will visit the Idaho Vets on Valentine’s Day, February 14, at 10am to deliver the special gifts donated by her supporters around the globe. The week of Feb 14th each year is designated as “National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week”.
Ms. Elise, granddaughter of WWII Army Veteran, supports Veterans and Troops 365 days of the year through her non-profit organization. She explains, ”This week has been set aside to show appreciation to our Nation’s heroes who are hospitalized in every state across the U.S. I encourage everyone to visit the Volunteer Services at their local VA Hospital to arrange a visit with their local hospitalized Vets.”
Pin-Ups For Vets is a unique award-winning non-profit organization in the U.S., whose mission is (1.) to raise funding to improve health care programs at VA and military hospitals, (2.) to visit ill and injured Veterans in VA and military hospitals across the U.S. and overseas to help boost morale and deliver appreciation gifts, (3.) to ship morale-boosting care packages to the troops in the war zones, and (4.) to encourage volunteerism at VA and military hospitals.
Gina Elise also appears as the popular blonde, brunette, redhead, and raven-haired model in the newly released 6th annual office-friendly 2012 “Pin-Ups For Vets” fundraiser calendar. The theme of this year’s calendar is “nose art” and features the popular images of America’s last surviving WWII nose artist, Hal Olsen. Supporters can visit the organization’s website at www.PinUpsForVets.com and go to the “Order Now” page to order calendars, T-shirts, posters, mugs, playing cards and many other gift items for themselves, for a hospitalized Veteran, or for a deployed service member.
Gina Elise personally delivers all donated gifts, with personal messages, for hospitalized Veterans during her hospital visits across the U.S. The VA and military hospitals have written many letters to attest to the positive effect of these visits on the Veterans by the 1940′s-style calendar girl herself. On a recent visit to a VA Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, a hospitalized Veteran told Gina Elise, “When you are here, my pain goes away !”
Gina Elise has received many letters from the deployed troops asking her to ship the Pin-Ups For Vets calendars to help boost morale in the combat zones. One recent letter arrived with this message: ”I am a 14-year OIF and OEF vet that’s currently deployed. I am working with a unit that has seen so many casualties in the last 3 months. I know they need some cheering up, as do I. These guys are truly the tip of the spear and would appreciate correspondence. What are the chances of getting calendars sent this way? I can’t say much about conditions, but I can say these guys need more than a pat on the back.”
Gina Elise is looking for businesses, Veterans groups, or civilians who would like to donate appreciation gifts for America’s hospitalized Veterans and for deployed troops.