It’s an image that harkens back to the days of World War II: posters and photos of pinup girls plastered around soldiers’ barracks, in a tried and true way of keeping morale high. But in 2009, that method is being kicked up a notch. And a nationally-known pro wrestling diva—who’s also a model and actress—is at the forefront of the effort.
Amy Vitale, known to men everywhere for things such as being a pro wrestling manager, appearing in movies and on television, and being the lead spokes model for Black Art Beer, is being branded as the face and figure of The Patriot Girls, a national organization that means to support U.S. troops stationed overseas.
“Pinup girls used to be just a photo on someone’s wall,” Vitale said recently about her alliance with The Patriot Girls. “But The Patriot Girls show that simply being attractive isn’t where our support stops.”
Formed in May 2007, The Patriot Girls volunteer their time to create patriotic and military themed images and products from which they donate a portion of their profits to charities that benefit the soldiers and their families.
It’s not done just by posing for cameras, either. The girls host various events nationwide, raise money with fundraising efforts, and assemble care packages for the troops. In 2008, The Patriot Girls donated $1 from each calendar sold to the Wounded Warrior Project.
In the spotlight is Vitale, who’s been most recently seen on Fox News, the CW network, on TV shows such as USA Network’s “Burn Notice,” and most famously as part of G.L.O.R.Y. Wrestling.
“You’ll see a lot of me—on The Patriot Girls website and elsewhere,” Vitale confirmed. “But just like the other girls, I won’t just be there in photos. I’ll be in the trenches, helping out—the way I prefer it.”
No one who’s seen Vitale strut her stuff in the pro wrestling arena will doubt that she’s a tough girl who can do anything the men can do—and more.
