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Shaw exceeds AFAF goal

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kathrine McDowell
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The Air Force Assistance Fund Campaign fundraiser ended this month. Shaw received donations from over 1,409 Airmen, many from deployed locations, and 39 outside donors totaling $136,717.21 over a six-week period, beating this year's goal of $98,464 by more than $38,000. 

In fact, according to Air Combat Command officials, Shaw raised the second highest dollar amount in the command.

The Shaw chapter of the campaign, run by 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Capt. Archie Godwin and Senior Master Sgt. Eric Marshall, surpassed the goal by the largest percentage across all ACC bases at 138.8 percent.

"I was certainly impressed that Shaw achieved 138 percentage of our goal," Captain Godwin declared. "Especially with all the moving parts in the 20th Fighter Wing such as deployments across the entire Fighter Wing, multiple Operational Readiness Exercises and the ACC Inspector General Operational Readiness Inspection."

The Air Force-wide annual campaign provides funds to four non-profit charitable affiliates: the General and Mrs. Curits E. LeMay Foundation, the Air Force Enlisted Village, the Air Force Village Foundation and the Air Force Aid Society. The sole purpose of each organization is to support Airmen in need and their extended families. 

For the LeMay Foundation, the AFAF is its main source of support. The AFAF helps the Foundation provide grants to the widows of retired Airmen in both the officer and enlisted ranks. 

The Air Force Enlisted Village was found in 1967 in response to the over 50,000 surviving spouses of enlisted Airmen lived in poverty. This foundation provides housing in three villages in Florida. 

The Air Force Village, based in San Antonio, Texas, provides health care at two communities for retired and honorably separated officers, their spouses, widows and widowers from all military branches. 

The Air Force Aid Society, founded in 1942 by Gen. and Mrs. Hap Arnold, provides for Airmen in the active duty ranks, guardsmen, reservists, retirees and their families by way of interest-free loans for emergency assistance, educational grants for dependants and community programs. 

In 2008, Shaw Airmen received over $310,000 from the AFAS for 357 assists. 

"The annual AFAF Campaign is about Airmen helping Airmen," said Captain Godwin. "Through the hard work of the unit project officers and all the volunteers who donated their time to get the word out, Shaw AFB demonstrated they not only understood that philosophy but stepped up and proved it."

Air Force-wide, the 2009 AFAF Campaign has raised $7,346,595 thus far, breaking the record set four years ago.

For more information, visit http://www.afassistancefund.org.