PROS VS. GI JOES!!!

So a few posts ago, I mentioned that I had a little announcement to make! The reason I was waiting is because I was waiting on our website to go LIVE so I would have somewhere to send you so you can see what Greg and I have been working so hard on since June! Together, we have started a non-profit organization called PROS VS. GI JOES!

What we do is set up real-time video game competitions between professional athletes (the PROS) and troops stationed overseas (the GI JOES), primarily in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, via the Internet using Xbox and an Xbox Live Gaming Tag!

Greg came up with the idea and soon after, we got to work! We filed the appropriate paperwork to get our official 501c3 status (although we are still awaiting our official tax exempt status; it takes a while for the paperwork to process) and started working out the details and getting support from sponsors we need to make this happen for our troops!

All of this happened before I knew I was being deployed but since I am here we are making the best of it and now, I am working as the overseas coordinator! Greg is the Chief Executive Officer and has been THE person to get all of the sponsorships for us! I am so proud of him and his dedication to making this happen! It’s so exciting!

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE by clicking HERE!! VOTE ON WHO THE FIRST PRO SHOULD BE (to the right of the screen) AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

The first team we’ve partnered up with is the Arizona Cardinals! The guys on the team are ready to take on the troops and we’re getting everything lined up to make it perfect! We are currently working with individual USO Centers in the Middle East, where the GI JOES will play as well as ESPN Zones in the states, where the PROS will play!

It’s the perfect marriage of ideas because professional athletes play these games A LOT and so do the troops! Soldiers spend so much of their down time in front of a TV battling their buddies! Greg and I thought, “why don’t we give the troops a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go head-to-head against a PRO?”

We found a really great company called AWSSports to create, build, and essentially donate a fantastic website for us! Greg and I came up with all the content and the basic structure of the site. We got his friend Mo to help with the graphics and after months of design, format, and content negotiations, we went LIVE on October 1st! We will continue to improve on the design and add more content but are VERY PROUD of what we have been able to accomplish with the limited resources we have available to us.

We've also been able to secure product sponsorship from these great companies!

• EA Sports: they are donating tons of games like Madden 08, Tiger Woods, NBA Live, etc!

• Red Bull: donated product for the USO Celebrity Golf Championship at Trump National Golf Course (see pics below)

• Ultimate Game Chair: donated the coolest gaming chair in the business and will be donating chairs to put in USO Centers in the Middle East

• ArmyNavy.com: donated 6,000 pair of "PROS VS GI JOES" dogtags! Every person who donates get a pair!

• Fathead: providing images for USO Centers, where we will have a "PROS VS GI JOES" gaming area.

These are just a few of the companies who believe in what we are doing and see the potential of our organization! We're in talks with XBox to solidify that relationship and we are currently planning the first "PROS VS. GI JOES" Cross-Country Tour that will coincide with the NFL Playoffs!

Here is where you can help, if you would like. Please bookmark our website and send the link to as many people as possible, including members of the press! We need as much exposure and help we can get in order to make our vision a reality and truly SUPPORT OUR TROOPS BY GIVING THEM THE COOLEST MORALE BOOSTER AROUND!

Also, if anyone has contacts, associations, friends, etc. with PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, CELEBRITIES, SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS, RADIO AND/OR TV SHOWS, and you think they would be interested in PROS VS. GI JOES, please email me at addie@prosvsgijoes.org. I have a lot of contacts and am utilizing them as much as possible but every little bit helps!

Also, we are a non-profit organization, and work solely on donations, so click HERE if you'd like to help SUPPORT THE TROOPS through PROS VS. GI JOES!

We are hoping to have our first match in November but we're still working out the details. In August, however, we were lucky enough to be invited to showcase our organization at the USO Celebrity Golf Tournament at Trump National Golf Course. We were truly the highlight of the day! This was just a simulation; not our official kick-off so we had troops stationed in Korea playing against the celebs and golfers. They had a blast and it was so much fun! The Airmen and Soldiers in Korea were even trash talking through the headphones even though they were on opposite sides of the world! Now imagine if they are talking smack with their favorite professional athlete?? It's gonna be awesome!




So, there you go! Our GREAT idea is turning in to a GREAT thing for our TROOPS! I will keep you updated here but PLEASE check out our site often for all the updates and latest news on PROS VS. GI JOES! The more support we have from you the more support we'll get from sponsors!