CFC surpasses goal Published Nov. 24, 2008 By 2nd Lt. Emily Chilson 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The 2008 Combined Federal Campaign, hosted by United Way of the Midlands, may be over, but the $162,420.66 donated by Shaw servicemembers will make a lasting impact that has only just begun. "I'm very pleased with the response our Airmen have shown during this year's CFC," said Col. Joseph T. Guastella, Jr., 20th Fighter Wing commander. "Their selflessness and generosity speaks volumes about those on Team Shaw." The CFC ran Sept. 23 through Nov. 7, a span of time that challenged Airmen with rising gas prices and an unstable economy. Despite these hurdles, servicemembers not only reached their goal of $160,000, but also surpassed it. "There were definitely a lot of factors between the election, the state of the economy, and gas prices," said Ms. Huddle, CFC director for United Way of the Midlands. "I was concerned about all those factors as well as the fact that Shaw had quite a few squadrons deployed. People are starting to become more cognizant," she said. "When times get tougher, it gets tougher for the working poor. When their paycheck doesn't stretch as far, it becomes a double-edged sword." "If you really look at the people on post during the campaign this year, Shaw AFB actually raised more money with less people because of the number of deployments," Ms. Huddle said. "They thought $160,000 would be a stretch goal but now it's surpassed." According to Ms. Huddle, 21 campaigns are complete while six campaigns have partial reports turned in. Out of those six campaigns, the two largest are the United States Postal Office and Fort Jackson. "As of now I have $1,152,906 for the Midlands," she said. "But there is still a lot of campaigning to do. Fort Jackson is still going strong, and we have some major turn-ins to go." More than 2,000 organizations benefit from pledges collected through the CFC each year. Last year, out of the $1,698,000 raised, 86% went to national charities, 13% went to local charities and 1% went to international charities according to Ms. Huddle. Also, she said, Cancer Cure of America received the most donations nationally, Global impact was the top receiver at the International level and United Way of the Midlands Federation and its member agencies received the most pledges locally. "This is my third year doing the Shaw campaign," Ms. Huddle said, "and this is the first time in those three years that we've exceeded the goal and crossed that $160,000 benchmark." "I would like to thank everyone who participated in the campaign - those who pledged their resources and the individuals who gave their time making sure this year's CFC was a success," Colonel Guastella said. "This time of year it's especially encouraging to see Airmen making a difference not only in the local area, but also on a national and international level."