HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THE FINEST!
So, it’s our 10 year anniversary!! Do not attempt to adjust your screens--we have taken over the airwaves and we're gonna kick it up a notch this year!!
The Finest: A G.I. Joe Costume Club is thrilled to again partner with K9s for Warriors for the FOURTH annual Girls of the Finest charity calendar! Over the last three years we have been able to donate more and more money to the various charities we've partnered with, and in doing so we've showed the world just how powerful the G.I. Joe fan community is when it comes to charities for veteran and military-related organizations.
YOU KNOW THE DEAL (and if you don’t, here it is):
The Girls of the Finest Charity Calendar is no ordinary 12-month calendar! Our amazing members are photographed exclusively for this calendar, while portraying many of your favorite G.I. Joe and Cobra characters!
In our charity efforts, we always strive to engage charity organizations that would help assist service men and women after they return home in an impactful way, as many Finest members are active duty service members and veterans. Once again, it's the Finest's honor to partner with K9s For Warriors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing service canines to warriors suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disability, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma as a result of military service post 9/11.
Their goal is to empower veterans to return to civilian life with dignity and independence. Ninety-five percent of the canines in the K9s For Warriors’ program come from rescue shelters, and in 2015, the organization was able to raise more than $5.5 million dollars, which allowed them to pair 51 Warriors with service dogs – that’s at least 102 lives saved because of each person’s contribution! In September 2016, K9s for Warriors opened their second kennel, which houses up to 27 dogs in training; the 17,000 sq. ft. training facility now can house and train up to 54 dogs! In May 2017, they trained and graduated their 300th warrior! They’re also diligently pushing the PAWS Act (Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers), which would authorize a five-year, $10 million pilot program to provide trained canines to veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disability. We decided we wanted to help them reach their goal of helping 12 warriors each month, so ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the net proceeds earned from the 2017 Girls of the Finest calendar will be donated to K9s for Warriors!
What better way to come together as a fan community and support the Real American Heroes of the U.S. military and their families?
We Need YOU!
We can't do this without YOU! Only through your donations will this calendar happen. Your contribution of $5 or more will allow us to:
• Compile all the calendar photography
• Design and produce the calendar and all associated perks
• Pay for printing and shipping costs of the calendar and perks
As in previous years, we create EXCLUSIVE content for this campaign that will only be available to those who donate here, including Girls of the Finest trading cards, postcards, patches, t-shirts and NEW SURPRISE TIERS!!! Just like the last three years, these perks will only be produced in limited quantities and once they're gone, THEY’RE GONE!
Everyone who donates $5 or more will receive exclusive Girls of The Finest item(s). Anyone donating $25 or more will receive the calendar PLUS exclusive items! (See perks on the right for a complete list)
* NOTE: We are happy to ship calendars and perks anywhere in the world! If you are in Canada, please add $7 to your donation to cover shipping. If you are outside North America, please email us your location and we will let you know what additional shipping charges may apply.
How to Get Involved
Donating funds is the #1 way to get involved, but if you can’t contribute financially, that doesn’t mean you can’t help! You can spread the word about our campaign! Share our link on Facebook, Twitter or other social media. Let other fandom groups know what we're doing and use the Indiegogo share tools to spread the word. Harness the power of the Internet to help us achieve our goal with the K9s For Warriors! Get involved however you can - all help is appreciated!
The Impact You Make
The more funds we collect, the more funds go to K9s For Warriors and to the veterans and their families who need our help! We want to be able to help out the men and women who sacrifice so much for us every single day. We value and appreciate their contributions and sacrifices and we want to show them how much they mean to us all.
This is a community call to action! Please join us, and together, let’s make a huge difference in the lives of military personnel and families!
Thank you!!!!!