Pin-Up Girl Raises Big Money For Vets' Health Care

Gina Elise boosts morale for deployed troops and hospitalized vets.

Photos from pinupsforvets.com/by Marco Patino and Marcus Menchaca

(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) - Sexy Pin-Up-In-Chief Gina Elise, creator of the award-winning “Pin-Ups For Vets” Calendar fundraiser project, recently presented a $15,000.00 check to the Portland, Oregon VA Hospital to improve rehabilitation programs for Veterans and recovering troops.

This was Elise’s third donation to a VA or military hospital in the U.S. since she began her pin-up calendar project in 2007 to help ill and injured Veterans. A previous story we ran about Elise, Pin-Up Girl Works for Ill and Wounded Veterans, explained how Gina's grandfather, who served in the Army during World War II, used to take his family out to the local cemetery each Memorial Day to honor deceased veterans and family members.

In fact, the story about this Pin-Up model was our top story of the year in 2008 with 74,583 unique views. (Top Stories of 2008 on Salem-News.com - Salem-News.com Staff)

Curvaceous and outgoing, Gina Elise has collected many awards along the way for her efforts to bring attention to and fund health care programs for our nation’s hospitalized Veterans.

Elise has been honored by the Los Angeles Business Journal as 2009 “Volunteer of the Year”, by the Daily Points of Light Foundation in 2008, and by the California Jaycees Foundation and California. Jr. Chamber of Commerce as 2007 “Outstanding Young Californian”.

Photos from pinupsforvets.com/ by Marco Patino and Marcus Menchaca

Besides raising funds, Gina Elise has made thousands of bedside visits in hospitals across the U.S. to ill and injured Veterans and troops recovering from injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She delivers “Pin-Ups For Vets” calendars, “Kiss A Vet” T-shirts and pin-up posters to the hospitalized Veterans she visits. All the gift items, complete with personal messages, have been donated by her supporters who purchase the gifts on Gina Elise’s website, PinUpsForVets.com.

A Veteran who had sustained a traumatic brain injury spoke to Gina Elise for the first time, after having not spoken for a month since the injury. Another patient cried, “ This is the BEST thing that has happened to me in the VA hospital ! ”

In addition to her personal visits to VA and military hospitals, Pin-Up Queen Gina Elise sends hundreds of boxes of “Pin-Ups For Vets” calendars, T-shirts, and posters to the troops deployed around the world.

The troops have responded to Elise’s gifts and tireless work for Veterans by flying 7 flags in her honor over military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Soldiers in Iraq painted a mural of Gina Elise in camouflage uniform complete with black lace stockings and high heels.

“The troops have sent me hundreds of thank-you notes for the great morale boost that the calendars have brought to them during their long and difficult deployments. It is so important to let them know that they are not forgotten,” says Gina Elise.

Gina Elise featured on Fox 11 Los Angeles

The calendar photos have been torn out of the calendars to decorate tents, and some of the photos have been carried with the troops during missions to inspire motivation. “They have dubbed me ‘the calendar angel’”, says Elise proudly.

The letters to Gina Elise from the troops all show appreciation for the work she does to improve the lives of hospitalized Vets and boost morale for the deployed troops.

Letters like this one arrive daily: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation for your efforts towards our veterans. This morning a helicopter flew into our remote base in Zabul Province, Afghanistan and delivered your wonderful calendar. We are a small team of advisors to the Afghan National Army, and all of us enjoyed a great boost of morale that you gave us. Thanks again for all you do for the boys and girls over here."

Gina Elise encourages everyone this holiday season to visit her website PinUpsForVets.com/ and purchase a gift that she can personally deliver to a hospitalized Veteran or send to the troops overseas.

Hundreds of military units have put in requests for the 2010 “Pin-Ups For Vets” calendars.

Gina Elise says, “ In helping our Vets and troops, I am also honoring the four year military service of my grandfather who served his country in World War II. I feel that it is my turn now to serve our brave heroes who have given so much to ensure our freedoms.”