AFAF fund-raising campaign for AF charities extended to May 17

Col. Thomas Sherman, 88th Air Base Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Arbona, 88th ABW command chief, sign their pledge forms for the Air Force Assistance Fund as Maj. Todd Brackett and Master Sgt. Anna Garrett, installation project officers for the 2019 AFAF fund, watch inside Sherman’s office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base April 23. The fund is made up of four charitable organizations that provide support in an emergency, with educational needs or a secure retirement home for widows or widowers of Air Force members in need of financial assistance. (U.S. Air Force photo/Wesley Farnsworth)

Col. Thomas Sherman, 88th Air Base Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Arbona, 88th ABW command chief, sign their pledge forms for the Air Force Assistance Fund as Maj. Todd Brackett and Master Sgt. Anna Garrett, installation project officers for the 2019 AFAF fund, watch inside Sherman’s office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base April 23. The fund is made up of four charitable organizations that provide support in an emergency, with educational needs or a secure retirement home for widows or widowers of Air Force members in need of financial assistance. (U.S. Air Force photo/Wesley Farnsworth)

Now approaching its midway point, the 46th annual Air Force Assistance Fund campaign at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has been extended to May 17.

The annual AFAF campaign, using the theme of “Commitment to Caring,” raises funds for AFAF-affiliated charities that assist active-duty, Reserve, Guard and retired Air Force personnel and their families.

This year’s goal for the base community is set at $126,903.

Airmen have the option to donate to one or more of the four AFAF charities: Air Force Village Charitable Foundation, the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force Enlisted Village and the Gen. and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation.

Although there is a large civilian population at Wright-Patterson AFB, civilians cannot be solicited for donations but are invited to contribute. Civilians who wish to contribute to AFAF should contact their unit project officer.

Dozens of unit project officers and key workers have been trained and are performing their duties, said installation project officer Maj. Todd Brackett. He is particularly appreciative of the efforts and results seen at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command.

A weekly collection turn-in started taking place April 19 on Friday afternoons at 4 p.m. in the Wings Lounge at the Wright-Patterson Club. Initial results were encouraging, Brackett said, especially from HQ Air Force Materiel Command, where more than 65 percent contact has already been made in the sizable complex.

“We’re proud of them for their initiative,” he said. “And if people want to stay and socialize on Fridays, that doesn’t hurt either.”

Brackett said he is appreciative that Col. Thomas Sherman, 88th Air Base Wing commander, authorized the extension.

“Now we have extra time to collect donations,” Brackett said. “We need lots of donations over the next three weeks to ensure we meet our goal.”

Donations to the AFAF can be made by cash or check, and active-duty and retired members can utilize the convenience of payroll deduction via completion of a form. Contributions to the AFAF may be tax deductible. More information is available at http://www.afassistancefund.org.

Project installation officer 2nd Lt. Autumn Moreno offered the following tip: “If donors donate online, they have to turn in the AF 2561s forms that generate to their POC (point of contact) or key worker once they hit ‘next’; without those we cannot turn them in to Finance to process. Simply hitting ‘next’ does not generate a payroll deduction, so please turn in the form.”

Contact a unit key worker/project officer or the installation project officers: Maj. Todd Brackett, todd.d.brackett.mil@mail.mil; 2nd Lt. Autumn Moreno, autumn.r.moreno.mil@mail.mil; and Master Sgt. Anna Garrett, anna.j.garrett.mil@mail.mil.

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