Dyess surpasses AFAF goal

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Charles V. Rivezzo
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Air Force has always held the reputation of providing their Airmen with an unmatched quality of life. Each year, via the Air Force Assistance Fund, that reputation remains true, as Airmen from across the service make donations to help out their fellow wingmen.

Since its inception, the Air Force has instituted its official charity, the Air Force Assistance Fund, for this very purpose. And each year at Dyess, Airmen and civilians alike extend a hand financially to those in need.

This year, from March 5 to April 27, Team Dyess set out to raise $89,396. As the final day came, Dyess had not only reached their goal, but surpassed it by more than $10,000 at a final tally of $101,223.

"Group involvement was the key to success of the campaign," said Senior Master Sgt. Raymond Lapham, 7th Maintenance Group weapons standardization superintendent and Dyess' AFAF coordinator. "Without the Group POCs in the trenches talking about AFAF and what it offers our Airmen, this campaign wouldn't have been successful. My hat's off to them for their hard work over the last eight weeks they have vested in the campaign."

The four charities that benefit from the campaign drive are the Air Force Aid Society, Gen. and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, Air Force Enlisted Village and Air Force Village.

The Air Force Aid Society provides Airmen and their families with worldwide emergency financial assistance, education assistance and base-level, community-enhancement programs. Funds raised during the 2011 campaign AFAF charities provided direct assistance to more than 44,000 Air Force members and their families totaling more than $18 million in aid.

Donations made to the AFAS provide a direct benefit to each Air Force installation. In 2011, of the funds distributed to the Dyess community, $257,000 was given to Airmen in the form of loans and grants; $23,000 was applied to community programs and $17,000 went toward education grants and spouses' tuition assistance.

Any donation, regardless of size, makes a difference. Furthermore, donations are tax deductible.

For more information about AFAF, visit www.afassistancefund.org/