Air Force officials announce AFAF competition winners

Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs Office

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Air Force officials announced its Group 1 winners of the annual Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign, which provides Airmen the opportunity to contribute to four official Air Force charitable organizations.

The campaign, which started Feb. 8 and runs until May 7, features a first-ever competition between installations within a group with similar past performances in the AFAF campaign.

Bases compete for the top spot within each group based on point values in several categories: percent over goal; donation amount equal to or greater than the previous year's amount; and active-duty participation rate.

This year’s Group 1 winner was Lajes Field, Azores. It exceeds the installation goal by more than 249 percent with almost 48 percent active-duty participation.

Brooks-City Base, Texas, was also named a winner because it was the only base in Group 1 to exceed more than 50 percent active-duty participation. In addition, it surpassed the installation goal by more than 167 percent.

Honorable mentions include Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., which reached more than 146 percent of its goal and Vance AFB, Okla., which had more than 42 percent active-duty participation.

Both winners will receive a $2,500 cash prize to be used for programs supporting the base community. Air Force officials will announce Group 2 and 3 winners upon completion of the AFAF campaign.

The AFAF was established to provide for an annual effort to raise funds for charitable affiliates that provide support to the Air Force family (active duty, retirees, reservists, guard and their dependents, including surviving spouses) in need. They are:

-- The Air Force Aid Society, which provides Airmen and their families worldwide with emergency financial assistance, education assistance and an array of base-level community-enhancement programs. More information is available at www.afas.org.

-- The Air Force Enlisted Village, which includes Teresa Village in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Bob Hope Village in Shalimar, Fla., near Eglin AFB, Fla. The fund provides homes and financial assistance to widows and widowers of retired enlisted people 55 and older. Hawthorn House, also in Shalimar, provides assisted living for residents requiring more assistance than others, including 24-hour nursing care. More information is available at www.afenlistedwidows.org.

-- Air Force Village, which includes Air Force Village I and II in San Antonio, a life-care community for retired officers, spouses, widows or widowers and family members. The Air Force Village Web site is www.airforcevillages.com.

-- The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, which provides rent and financial assistance to widows and widowers of officer and enlisted retirees in their homes and communities through financial grants of assistance. The LeMay Foundation Web site is www.lemay-foundation.org.

Contributions to the AFAF are tax deductible. For more information, visit the Air Force Assistance Fund's Web site at http://afassistancefund.org/ and view the 2010 AFAF video at http://www.afassistancefund.org/video/flash/afaf.html.

Local installation project officers and unit representatives are available to provide more information on these charities and ways to contribute to AFAF.

To find out base group assignments, scoring information for the new competition and additional information about the 2010 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign visit the AFPC personnel services website or call the 24/7 Total Force Service Center toll-free at (800)-525-0102.