The calendars were a hit, I sent boxes out on UH-60 Blackhawk missions as
well as CH-47 Chinook missions to some of the remote locations where the
conditions are extremely rough. I sent them out on missions on Thanksgiving
and have one Box left that I will send up on a simiar mission close to
Christmas. Everyone is really appreciative and a thank you seems so small
for how you all have supported us over here. Thanks A Ton!!!!!!

Very Respectfully
SSG Russell, Darren and a lot of other Soldiers,Marines,and Airmen

Your team knows how to “warm-up” an Iraqi winter!  The calendars were a
perfect gift right before Christmas.  Our mission changed about 30 days into
our deployment and now we are the northern most Marine unit in Iraq living
on a very small combat outpost.  Our food is limited and not very good, our
mail is sent to us monthly from Al Asad so these calendars were a big
motivator for the Marines.
 Thank you for supporting the wounded warriors, it is an awesome
organization.  Some of our Marines that were wounded in their last
deployment have 1st hand experience of that organization.
 The news back home is wasted on celebrity problems and bad news in
general.  It should tell stories about all the great Americans like you who
do great things behind the scenes and give so much support to us.  Your
support makes our job easy.
 I’ve attached a photo of the “old men” of our company.  L/R is MSgt Jeff
Lafferty (ops chief), 1stSgt Doug Rines (Co 1stSgt), Major Arcelio Albizo
(CO)
Semper Fidelis,
1stSgt Doug Rines USMC

Hello, my name is Bill and I work over here in Iraq. I was recently given one of the calendars that you sent to the troops. I want to express my thanks to you and your company for what you are doing for the troops and folks over here.
 
I used to live in Montana for a while in the Conrad area.  I now live in Arizona but will one day soon hopefully move back.  To you, I say thank you again for the calendar, it was very well done by the photographer.  As a matter of fact, I had recently bought a SI calendar, but will take it back and get my money back.  Your calendar blows it out of the water.
 
Take care,
Bill

Jennifer Hayes & Jeremiah Thompson,

                       Thank you very much for sending the calendars,
the photography was very excellent. I am currently just about finished
my tour in Iraq however; the shipment of calendars are being passed off
to the Company Commanders to hand out to Soldiers. I am going to try to
have a/or picture(s) taken of the calendars with a Soldier or couple of
Soldiers if possible to send to your organization as a small token of
our appreciation.

Very Respectfully,
Private First Class Lucas, Gene
United States Army

Sexy calendar to boost soldiers’ morale overseas

By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - Independent Record - 11/14/08

Photo provided

Service members in Iraq and Afghanistan don’t mind getting old paperback books and snack packs stuffed with crackers and cheese.

These are all good things, but if you really want to make that soldier smile this holiday season, send him a 2009 Girls of Brazil Swimsuit Calendar.

It’s chocked full of bikini-clad beauties rolling in the sand and surf under the South American sun; enough to make a homesick soldier smile.

Shot by amateur photographer Jeremiah Thompson of Missoula and sent overseas with contacts provided by Montana Supporting Soldiers, the calendar is sure to boost morale in remote reaches of the war zone and help support wounded veterans back home.

Described by his marketing company as an online business owner, Thompson is sending 5,000 free calendars to U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Proceeds from further sales will benefit the Wounded Warriors Project.

“He decided to go to Brazil to learn how to surf,” said Terri Braun, director of operations for Dreamy Calendars, based in Missoula. “He found some amazing women who were just everyday ladies, and he decided to make a calendar.”
 

Hold on…

A 34-year-old Montana guy who speaks neither Portuguese nor Spanish jumps on a plane and makes a 24-hour flight to Brazil to learn how to surf?

And while there, he happens across Florianopolis, a place (according to him) that’s home to the most beautiful women in the world, not to mention sandy beaches, sparkling water and golden sunrises?

“It was too easy,” Thompson wrote in his blog. “I wasn’t paying. I wasn’t a professional photographer. I wasn’t backed by a photography studio. But just about everyone I wanted to shoot photos of agreed to have photos taken.”

Thompson grew up in a military family and saw the service as a worthy cause for this year’s fundraiser.

His marketing managers in Missoula explained that in years past, the group has donated proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund, Susan G. Komen, Toys for Tots, St. Jude’s Hospital and other local causes.

Liann Meyer, founder and director of Montana Supporting Soldiers, based in Helena, was happy to provide Dreamy Calendars the names and contact numbers for the troops she often deals with overseas.

A medical unit, a canine unit and even a chaplain will help get the “Girls of Brazil” into the hands of lonely American soldiers in time for Christmas.

They’re not quite stocking stuffers, but the glossy images make thoughtful gifts nonetheless.

“For a lot of them, it is a morale booster,” Meyer said. “If they don’t feel they want the calendar up, they don’t have to take one. But for a lot of them, it’ll lift their spirits. It’s what my organization does — reminding them that America is thinking of them and supports them.”

A little South American culture is sure to go a long way in the deserts of the Middle East. But the Middle East isn’t America, and Meyer paused to consider the cultural differences and potential sensitivities before agreeing to help get the calendar out.

“When I looked at his Web site and saw the girls in the slide show, I thought I better check with the commanders over in Iraq to see if this would be OK,” said Meyer. “They said as long as everything was covered, it would be fine. They get the Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and this isn’t really any different.”

Meyer said the calendars would be distributed to troops in two Afghan units and several units in Iraq. It’s just what Thompson was hoping to hear.

“I guess if my dad wasn’t in the Army, I wouldn’t have been exposed to that lifestyle growing up,” Thompson said. “When they (the service members) look at my calendar, they won’t just see 15 breathtakingly beautiful women, but a reminder of my support for them as they serve in the line of duty.”

To buy a calendar or to view Thompson’s photos, log on to www.girlsofbrazilcalendar.com.

On the Web

Click here to see the calendar online.

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com

October 2, 2008
Missoula Independent Newspaper

Desire and a plane ticket to Florianopolis, Brazil—that’s all it took for Jeremiah Thompson, a Missoula dot-com businessman and amateur photographer, to realize a life-long dream. He’s become a swimsuit photographer.

Thompson flew to Brazil in January to begin work on the “Girls of Brazil 2009 Swimsuit Calendar.” Most of his subjects weren’t professional models, but rather women in bikinis who liked having their photos snapped at sunrise or sunset, some without payment.

“It was too easy,” Thompson says. “I wasn’t paying, I wasn’t a professional photographer, I wasn’t backed by a photography studio…but just about everyone I wanted to shoot photos of agreed to have photos taken.”

Those women will now provide an unexpected service: boosting morale in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thompson recently donated 5,000 calendars to troops abroad. To top it off, a percentage of the proceeds from every calendar sale supports injured soldiers through the nonprofit Wounded Warriors Program.

“He’s really got a heart for helping people,” says Jennifer Hayes, marketing manager for Thompson’s Floripa Calendar Project.

Thompson says supporting the troops was an important move. His dad is a retired lieutenant colonel and Thompson grew up calling the military home. He’s the only man in his family who didn’t enlist.

“I guess if my dad wasn’t in the Army, I wouldn’t have been exposed to that lifestyle growing up,” Thompson says.

Hayes says the project’s philanthropic aspect has attracted positive attention. PMG International, a periodical wholesaler in San Antonio, purchased 2,000 calendars for troops abroad. And although Thompson missed the February distributor’s deadline for 2009 calendar samples, Ingram Book Group, the nation’s largest publishing distribution house, said it’s definitely interested in 2010.

Philanthropy also has its perks. Thompson spoke to the Independent by phone from Aruba last week, traveling for business with his girlfriend, whom he met while working on the calendar.

“I think anyone can do it,” Thompson says. “It’s just a matter of buying a ticket, going down there and doing it.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Amateur Photographer Donates Portion of Calendar Sales to Wounded Warrior Project

“Girls of Brazil 2009 Swimsuit Calendar” profits to help support and empower injured service men and women

MISSOULA, Mont., Sept. 10, 2008 — Within the next two weeks, thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive an out-of-the-ordinary gift: their own personal copy of the “Girls of Brazil 2009 Swimsuit Calendar” (http://www.girlsofbrazilcalendar.com). The calendar’s photographer and creator, Jeremiah Thompson of Missoula, Mont., has put aside 5,000 free copies for the soldiers serving overseas. What’s more, Thompson is donating a portion of every calendar sold to the Wounded War Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org), an organization that strives to support and empower injured service men and women.

“We are currently collecting soldiers’ addresses, and the calendars will go out within two weeks,” Thompson says. “We hope this gift brings a small bit of happiness to a monotonous and difficult place. When they look at my calendar, they won’t just see 15 breathtakingly beautiful women, but a reminder of my support for them as they serve in the line of duty.”

The “Girls of Brazil 2009 Swimsuit Calendar” was born out of a dream — Thompson’s desire to become a professional swimsuit photographer. When he traveled to Florianopolis, the capital city of the Santa Caterina State in Southern Brazil last year, he found himself shooting gorgeous Brazilian beach babes who loved to be photographed, even without compensation. Donating to the Wounded Warrior Program is Thompson’s way of “giving back.” The son of a retired Lt. Colonel, who served in the Army Corp of Engineers and several tours of duty in Korea and Germany, Thompson grew up in the United States military family. This upbringing fostered a deep respect for U.S. soldiers, their sense of honor and amazingly steadfast loyalty.

“I wanted to give some portion of my calendar sales to a worthy cause, and it was just natural for me to give back to the military based on my childhood experiences,” Thompson says. “I watched military men and women unselfishly give of themselves, and how their families supported and defended these soldiers alongside them. I can’t say enough about these people, and actions do speak louder than words, so that’s why I’m donating to the Wounded Warrior Project, contributing in a way that I can.”

Founded as a non-profit organization, The Wounded Warrior Project provides tangible support to service men and women, helping them heal both physically and mentally. It provides services and programs that directly assist the wounded and enable severely injured service members to aid each other. In additional, the Wounded Warrior Project raises awareness of and enlists public support for injured service members.

“The Wounded Warrior Project is effective because it gives these injured soldiers some hope,” Thompson says. “It inspires them to help themselves and each other, and this approach is vital to their lifelong success.”

For more information, visit http://www.girlsofbrazilcalendar.com.

Contact:

Terri Braun
Director of Operations, Floripa Calendar Project
Braun.terri@gmail.com
406-532-3712

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brazilian Vacation Dreams Come True for Missoula, Montana-Based Photographer

“Girls of Brazil 2009 Swimsuit Calendar” makes big waves in world of amateur photography

MISSOULA, Mont., Aug. xx, 2008 — Last year, the famously exotic, culture-rich country of Brazil welcomed over 5 million visitors to its homeland. Some came for the sun and the beach. Others came to indulge in Brazil’s ecotourism or its numerous adventure-based sports. Many more traveled there for industry fairs, conferences and conventions.

However, one American amateur photographer — a former “dotcommer” — went to Brazil for the girls … or, rather, to follow his dream of photographing beautiful women and making a name for himself as a professional swimsuit photographer. Jeremiah Thompson of Missoula, Mont., has just released the fruit of his vacation “fun” in the form of the “Girls of Brazil 2009 Swimsuit Calendar,” which is now available online at http://girlsofbrazilcalendar.com .

“Many men dream of being a professional swimsuit photographer, but my dream was much more than that,” Thompson says. “This project, called ‘The Girls of Florianopolis’ — so named for the beach town that was home to these breathtakingly beautiful women — took a life of its own and is very, very real. I simply took a vacation down there, started taking pictures of women who just loved and wanted to be photographed for free, and the result is this amazing calendar of the most gorgeous women in the world.”

A photographic debut of sorts, Thompson’s “Girls of Brazil 2009” calendar is packed with 15 models who are local to Florianopolis, the capital city of the Santa Caterina State in Southern Brazil. Within the calendar, each featured spread reflects the models’ unique styles and moods — playful, seductive, thoughtful and more — that combine to create a calendar bursting with energy, emotion and serious sex appeal.

Among the surf and sand, the girls sport their own bikinis in most cases, although Thompson bought a few swimsuits for the shoot, giving them as gifts to several of his models. It was this bikini shopping and photographing of such exquisite beauty that made Thompson wake up and realize this life, at least for him, wasn’t such a dream but the real deal.

“I believe people should follow their dreams, and this project was so successful that it was a reality check of sorts in terms of what one can achieve,” Thompson states. “I shot this entire calendar with simple but classic gear – a Canon 40D, plus a Canon lens and some flash equipment. I didn’t use any crew, lighting reflectors or others kinds of support that professionals typically use.”

“I did solicit the help of Mother Nature … incredible sunrises and sunsets lit my ‘stage,’” Thompson continues. “The results were simply amazing, and a true show of what I’ve been able to do with my talent for scouting out the women, taking advantage of Brazil’s natural environs, and using my camera to its fullest potential.”

For more information, visit http://floripacalendar.com/.

Contact:

Terri Braun
Director of Operations, Floripa Calendar Project
Braun.terri@gmail.com
406-532-3712