15th Wing gears up for 2014 AFAF drive Published Feb. 20, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez 15th Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- In the spirit of giving back to the Air Force community, the 15th Wing is preparing its 2014 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign which begins March 3 and runs through April 11. The AFAF is an annual fundraiser for charitable organizations that provide support to the Air Force community, including active duty, reservist and air guard Airmen, their dependents, and retirees. The charitable organizations include the Air Force Villages, Inc.; the Air Force Aid Society, Inc.; the General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation; and the Air Force Enlisted Village, Inc. The organizations help the Air Force community by providing aid during emergencies, support for educational needs, and assisting widows and widowers of Air Force members in need of financial assistance. Master Sgt. Valorie Whitehill, 15th Maintenance Group, and Capt. Jeremy Tippey, 15th Operations Support Squadron, are the installation project officers for this year's campaign. The six-week campaign begins with an AFAF Kickoff Reception March 3, where the first official contributions of the Wing will be given. A key focus for this year's campaign is getting as many Airmen as possible to donate, even if it's only a small amount. Every Wing unit will have an AFAF keyworker in charge of coordinating the collection of donations and ensuring 100 percent contact with their unit personnel. "The key is to ensure all service members are contacted and accurately informed on what AFAF provides," Tippey said. "We want everyone to know their whole donation goes directly to help other Air Force members." This year, Hickam's monetary goal is to raise $115,620. Donors are encouraged to learn more about the charities the AFAF supports, and can find their website links at https://www.afassistancefund.org. "I believe that the more people understand what these four organizations are about, the more likely people are to give," Whitehill said. For more information on Hickam's AFAF campaign, call Master Sgt. Whitehill at 448-6068 or email valorie.whitehill@us.af.mil.