People frequently inquire about the origins of Gina Elise’s “Pin-Ups For Vets” calendar initiative, which began in 2006 when she started hearing news items concerning underfunded Veterans’ healthcare systems. Then came the reports of the vast number of Veterans who remained in bed day after day, never getting visitors. She was inspired by the pin-up girls of World War II, whose photographs and paintings raised morale among troops fighting overseas. The more she learned about our wounded warriors’ uphill battles, the more determined she became that she needed to assist in the creation of a project that would raise cash to support all of our hospitalized Veterans. They have donated over $80,000 worth of state-of-the-art rehab equipment to VA and Military hospitals across the country as a result of her efforts. They also go on a 50-state VA and Military hospital tour, seeing over 15,000 wounded and injured Veterans and bringing in donated calendars as tokens of appreciation.
The vintage pin-up calendar has three purposes: first, it raises funds for hospitalized Veterans. Second, the calendars would be sent as gifts to sick and injured Veterans, along with thank-you notes from the contributors. Finally, the calendars would be distributed to deployed troops to improve morale and show that Americans at home are thinking of them. ABC, NBC, CBS News, Forbes, Daily Mail, The Huffington Post, Paramount, PBS, People, Military Times, The Washington Times, and A&E have all highlighted them. The calendar for 2022 depicts 12 veterans dressed in the iconic pin-up style.
