About Us
"DOIN' A LITTLE FOR THOSE WHO DO A LOT"
Pro vs. GI Joe believes our military men and women, who voluntarily put themselves in harm's way to defend our Freedoms, deserve an opportunity unique to them! We aim to do something no other morale boosting organization does: use the best of today's modern technology to make virtual connections via video games and webcams, simultaneously, across the miles.
Pro vs. GI Joe sets up real-time video game competitions between professional athletes, musicians, celebrities, high-ranking military officials & politicians in the states and troops stationed overseas via the Internet using PlayStation, Xbox Live and /or the Nintendo Wii.
When it's possible, Pro vs. GI Joe also reunites family members of the participating troops via webcam during the event. We work very hard to not only connect the Pro and the GI Joe but to also connect families separated by military service.
PLANNING AND EXECUTION
Pro vs. GI Joe works closely with the participating teams and/or athletes, musicians and celebrities to determine where the competition will take place. We travel all over the country, participating in the biggest sporting events of the year including the NBA All-Star Game, Brickyard 400, Indy 500, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl! While our NFL events are held at the teams' stadiums and/or training facilities, we are flexible and able to set up virtually anywhere!
Additionally, we work with our official partner, the USO, to help identify the participating troops and arrange for them to play from the USO centers all over the world.We also invite local uniformed troops to attend our events in-person, giving them the opportunity to meet the pros and challenge them to a video game competition face to face!
Making connections is very important to us so when possible, we try to pit the PRO(s) against the GI JOE(s) from the same area. For example, if we're working with the Arizona Cardinals we do everything we can to find troops from Arizona who are deployed overseas. We then work with their Chain of Command to select the troops and make the event a success! We do this because we like to invite friends and families of the troops to the event so they can meet the PROS, watch their loved one compete and chat with them over webcam before and after the competition.
Our set-up varies depending on the location of the event but at minimum we always have a monitor for game-play hooked up to the console as well as a monitor (usually a big screen tv or monitor) hooked up to the computer's webcam that shows the troops playing overseas.
Here are examples of our various set-ups:
USO CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
playing from Trump National Golf Course in California
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INDY RACING LEAGUE VS. TROOPS STATIONED IN IRAQ & KUWAIT
Playing from the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning NY
(same event from USO Center at Camp Virginia Kuwait)
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WARREN SAPP VS. TROOPS IN KUWAIT
playing from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena
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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS. SOLDIERS IN IRAQ
playing from the Eagles' training facility in Philly
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NBA All Star Game Jam Session with Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson
Phoenix, AZ
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2009
2009 Brickyard 400
Indianapolis, IN
Green Bay Packers 2009
E3 Expo 2009
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ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. 996TH OF THE AZ NATIONAL GUARD
playing from the Cardinals' training facility in Phoenix
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GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. MARINES IN KUWAIT & SOLDIERS IN GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA
playing from Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay
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Pro vs. GI Joe has a small staff but we accomplish big things! The organization is run by us, Addie and Greg Zinone - and we do it all: website content; athlete, celebrity, and military outreach; event planning, coordination, logistics, set up and execution; travel; and much much more!
When it's possible, we invite volunteers to help out during their events. While we can't pay our volunteers, we do offer free flights and either free or discounted hotel stays - plus amazing opportunities to attend the biggest sporting events in the world! We consider ourselves a family-run organization and everyone we work with - from the pros to the troops to the families - become an extended part of our family. We love what we do and we appreciate all the support and help we can get!
If you have a specialty or know of a way you can help our organization, we'd love to hear from you! Please give us a call at 818.371.1283 or email Greg!
If you have a specialty or know of a way you can help our organization, we'd love to hear from you! Please give us a call at 818.371.1283 or email Greg!
Greg Zinone, Co-Founder and President
Addie Zinone, Co-Founder and Overseas Coordinator
Chad "Mo" Nicholson, Graphic Designer. Mo designed the Pro vs. GI Joe logo as well as our MOG and CGL logos.
Lorenzo "LD" DiBlasio, Community Relations Coordinator. LD has traveled extensively with PvGIJ and is a huge part of what we do.
Our Patriots! Special thanks to these great folks who have volunteered at Pro vs. GI Joe events and who support us very chance they get!
Michelle Shortencarrier
Mark Grizzle
Paul Bozik
Laura Saltman
Leslie Margasak
Ashley Russo
Jo Beyersdorfer
Sara Roeske
Dan Klimas
Jonathan Reyes
Special thanks to all the great organizations and companies who've joined the PRO VS. GI JOE team! The possibilities are endless as we bring our troops something truly unique, interactive, and fun! We are grateful for all the support we've gotten so far and we hope to continue working together to connect our GI JOE(s) to our PRO(s).
As we've proven in the last year through our PRO VS. GI JOE events, there is tremendous interest in what we are doing.
Join our team by supporting our efforts and we guarantee you will benefit from our hard work and dedication to making amazing memories for our military men and women and their families.
If you are interested in partnering with us, please email Greg Zinone! We look forward to hearing from you!
In 2008, Pro vs. GI Joe partnered with the USO. The USO is so important to what we do and we couldn't not succeed without them! USO Centers all over the world serve as the location for troop participation. Pro vs. GI Joe works hand in hand with USO Center Directors and Staff to make our events successful! To date, we've connected the pros with troops in USO Centers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Germany, Japan, Dubai and Qatar.
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We are so grateful and proud to partner with AirTran Airways in order to provide FREE flights to families of the troops participating in our events. In addition to providing flights to military families, AirTran also provides free flights to Pro vs. GI Joe staff and volunteers, which enables us to travel all over the country connecting communities & families with troops all over the world!
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In 2008, Pro vs. GI Joe entered in to a very successful partnership with Activision, Inc., publishers of the incredibly popular Guitar Hero and Call of Duty video game franchises.
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In 2007, Vigor Gaming supplied Pro vs. GI Joe with fantastic gaming computers which we use at all of our events. Of all the equipment used for our events, the computer is the most vital as it is the key to seeing and chatting with troops overseas!
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HERO GEAR - Pro vs. GI Joe recently partnered with Jem Stephens of HeroGear to provide one-of-a-kind custom Guitar Hero Pro vs. GI Joe skins! These custom guitars are given as prizes to the troops and are loved by the pros, leagues, and families! The skins have made local and national news and been seen on the cover of many newspapers around the country.
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In 2009, Pro vs. GI Joe teamed up with Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment (LSSE). LSSE represents Pro vs. GI Joe in our sponsorship and marketing endeavors while also working with us to connect their roster of the world's best athletes and legends with America's heroes.
Pro vs. GI Joe is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded Greg and Addie Zinone of Fairfax, Virginia.
Addie and Greg founded Pro vs. GI Joe in June 2007 to give back to our military men and women in a truly unique, fun, and interactive way! Like many Americans, they are a military family who personally understand the sacrifices service members and their families make, especially now! Addie is a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve and has served two tours of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, from 2003-2004 and most recently from 2007-2008.
Although Greg is not in the military, he feels those who don't wear the uniform have an obligation to give back and support those who do. His way of doing it is through video game competitions with the pros! Greg played football at West Virginia University and knows first-hand that athletes love to get on the sticks. And since Addie has spent a lot of time with troops during her two combat deployments in Iraq, she knows that all branches of America's Armed Forces also like to play. Greg put the two together - thinking it would be a fantastic way for our troops to unwind and for the pros to say "thanks" - and came up with Pro vs. GI Joe!
Using the best of modern technology (online gaming and webcams) and forging an absolutely essential partnership with the USO, Pro vs. GI Joe has made connections for countless troops, their families and friends, and the pros. To date, we've connected troops serving in Kuwait, Dubai, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, Germany, and Cuba as well as those here at home with professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, PGA, NASCAR, IRL, and BOXING. We're growing every day and welcome the opportunity to expand to every sport and athlete, musician or celebrity!
The most meaningful aspect of Pro vs. GI Joe, however, isn't the connection we make between the Pro and the GI Joe; it's the connection we make with the families. Troops are often separated from their family for months and years at a time. When possible (and it's usually at every event), we invite the troops' family members to attend the competition so they can meet the Pros, tour the facility, get some autographs and, most importantly, chat with their loved one via webcam from USO centers all over the world. These reunions mean so much to the troops and their families and it's an privilege to provide that opportunity when it's possible.
Pro vs. GI Joe relies solely on the generosity of the American people and sponsors/partners to fund our organization. With us, you get a personal connection and a guarantee that we will never quit working for our men and women in uniform and their families!
Please continue to support us today as we "Do A Little For Those Who Do A Lot"!
Addie and Greg Zinone currently live in Fairfax, Va with their son Hudson, who was born in May 2009 and their two four-legged kids, Gumata and Ranger. Addie continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve after reenlisting for six additional years while in Iraq in 2008. She is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia where she earned a full gymnastics scholarship and was recently inducted in to Temple University's School of Communications Hall of Fame. Greg attended college at West Virginia University, where he played football until injuries ended his career. He graduated from Cal State Northridge with a degree in Public Administration. Greg and Addie were married in May 2007 and share a passion for giving back to our military men and women.
If you'd like to contact them, please email addie@prosvsgijoes.org or greg@prosvsgijoes.org. They'd love to hear from you.
How We Do What We Do
Q: How do they play head-to-head if the athlete is in the States and the troops are stationed thousands of miles away?
A: Technology has made tremendous advancements over the years and now our troops are benefiting from it! Despite being thousands of miles away and stationed in combat zones around the world, troops are now able to connect to the pros using a gaming console that is hooked up to the internet. Each side has a "gamer tag" and a live webcam feed that allows the pros and the troops to see one another and talk trash while playing the game.
Q: Is it a personal one-on-one match or can others watch?
A: Personal on a military deployment? Not likely!! But that’s the way we want it! Each competition is an event, with fans on each side cheering on their "team"! The PROS have the support of their fans and teammates and the troops have the support of their battle buddies, both stateside and overseas, as well as their families who are often in attendance!
Q: What video games do you play?
A: The games we play depend on the event. For instance, we played NBA Live at the NBA All-Star Game and MLB 09 at the MLB All-Star Game. At our NFL events, we often play MADDEN but we've also incorporated a lot of Guitar Hero and Call of Duty, which are favorites of the troops and the pros and allows more troops to participate in the event. We are not limited in the games we play and are always open to suggestions!
Q: Do the troops win anything if they beat the PRO?
A: You mean, playing their favorite professional athlete wouldn't be enough? Okay, we think they deserve more too! So win or lose, the troops will receive prizes and giveaways from Pro vs. GI Joe, the team and/or athletes as well as our sponsors! When we can - and it's not always possible - we give away Guitar Hero sets as well as a gaming console.
Q: How are the troops chosen to play?
A: Pro vs. GI Joe has great relationships with the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard so we work closely with each branch. Mostly, however, we work with the Public Affairs Office (PAO) stateside and they help us locate their local troops serving around the world. We then work with the troops' Chain of Command to get their permission and to help us identify those who will participate. We do our absolute very best to pit local troops against their local team or find troops from the city or state in which the event is held (i.e, Philadelphia Eagles versus Philadelphia-area troops). We also work with the USOs overseas, who advertise or send out emails about our upcoming events.
Q: How long are the events?
A: Our events last about two hours. The first hour is the game-play with the pros and the last hour is blocked off for webcam reunions with family and friends of the troops overseas.
Q: I'm an athlete, how do I participate?
A: We are always looking for more athletes, celebrities and musicians to participate in our events! If you are interested in hooking up with our troops - and creating once-in-a-lifetime experience for them and their families - email us or call 818.371.1283!
We didn't answer your question? Please email us and we'll make sure to add it to the list! Thank you!
We didn't answer your question? Please email us and we'll make sure to add it to the list! Thank you!
