Donations to the troops 2009 Girls of Brazil Calendars

3750 calendars were put on a truck today.  This truck is leaving from Billings, Montana to go to Texas.  From Texas these calendars will get shipped to Iraq  and Afghanistan and eventually find their way to the troops on the front of the lines.

This shipment is the first of four shipments going out in the next four weeks.  This brings the total Girls of Brazil 2009 calendars donated to the troop at 20,000.

Sexy calendar to boost soldiers’ morale overseas

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

Dayana is thrilled with calendars being donated to troops

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.

Click here to see the calendar online.

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

The models are happy with the calendar donation to the troops

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 (http://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.