AFS/IAM Team raises over $320,000 for Wiregrass United Way | Community Spirit

L-3 Army Fleet Support (AFS) announced today that its 2013 United Way campaign set another record for total contributions.

The AFS/International Association of Machinists (IAM) team raised a total of $320,366.89, exceeding last year’s record total by $39,254 and once again making the campaign the largest in Wiregrass United Way (WUW) history.

AFS Vice President and General Manager Lowell Green, along with IAM Local Lodge 2003 President Tony Barnes, presented WUW Area Manager Taylor Wheeler with an oversized check showing the campaign total.

“It has always been a pleasure working with AFS and IAM each and every year, but this year’s total was simply overwhelming,” said Mrs. Wheeler. “It is a privilege for me to work with the number one campaign contributor in the Wiregrass. We are so lucky to have such a generous workforce and such hard-working volunteers here in our community. They really know how important our 37 agencies are and they show it by their yearly donations.”

According to Walter Hill, CEO of the WUW, “The AFS and IAM team has once again amazed us with their incredible generosity. More than 500 ‘fair share’ donors raising over $320,000 is fantastic. The steering committee and coordinators for each area and each shift worked tirelessly to make this campaign successful. The funding to our 37 partnering agencies and to the Wiregrass people they help will be far-reaching thanks to AFS/IAM and everyone who participated. This team certainly knows how to Think WE Before ME.”

Every year in September, the AFS/IAM United Way campaign begins with a kickoff where the team announces its fundraising goal for the year to employees, WUW representatives and community leaders. This annual event serves as a jumpstart for the team’s fundraising activities, which take place throughout the six-week campaign. AFS is a 24/7 operation with several different work sites. The campaign volunteers coordinate fundraising activities in such a way that every AFS employee, regardless of his or her site location or work shift, has an opportunity to learn about and support the United Way campaign.

Although the majority of total AFS donations comes from payroll deductions, a variety of special events throughout the campaign raised additional funds and brought more fun and excitement to build the campaign’s momentum.

“The United Way campaign means a great deal to AFS and IAM employees,” said Campaign Co-chair Madison Cox. “Their enthusiasm and spirit of giving is obvious from the amount of participation in not only payroll deductions, but also from the money provided by related fundraisers. I couldn’t have been more proud to be part of such a great team-building experience.”

The Wiregrass United Way (WUW) was founded in 1938 and is located in the southeast corner of Alabama known to the local population as the Wiregrass Area. The WUW currently funds a total of 37 member agencies serving a five-county area, which includes Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties, and is governed by a local board of trustees whose members live and work throughout Wiregrass.

Since 2003, Army Fleet Support (AFS) has provided quality aviation maintenance support to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and United States Air Force at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 employs approximately 51,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems, aircraft modernization and maintenance, and national security solutions. L-3 is also a leading provider of a broad range of electronic systems used on military and commercial platforms. To learn more about L-3, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com.

Source;  Army Fleet Support