Volunteers run for the Enlisted Widows' Foundation fund

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  The Enlisted Heritage Foundation fundraiser is an annual event that raises money for the chosen organization that year; April 22 a fun run was held to gather money for the Enlisted Widows' Foundation Fund.

Pacific Air Force bases combine their donations with other major commands to form one large Air Force donation.

"This is Air Force members taking care of prior Air Force members' families," said Master Sgt. Carroll Stone, the 354th Security Forces Squadron standardization and evaluation NCO in charge.

In addition to raising money for charity, the fundraiser also serves other purposes.

"It's also the heritage foundation preserving our Air Force heritage. Where we came from and where we're going. It goes towards a good cause," said Master Sgt. Steven McClure, a 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron section chief.

Last year the EHF held a bowling tournament, but with the Air Force's focus on fitness it was decided that a fun run was a good way to incorporate fitness and still support an Air Force-wide event.

With RED FLAG-Alaska in full swing and the upcoming Operational Readiness Inspection in May, Eielson Airmen must find creative ways to incorporate both fitness and community projects into daily life.

"One of our goals in organizing this event was to make it as painless as possible to maximize the participation. We did not set a certain amount that people had to raise or laps people had to run. We also left it open to the participants whether they wanted to run as a group or as individuals," said Sergeant McClure. "The most important thing is that people came out to participate in this fundraiser."

Teams also used the tag-team approach to keep a continuous cycle of participants on the track. The structure of the fundraiser allowed people to donate the amount they desired and run normal physical training if they chose.

In order to compensate for flight times and shifts, two separate times were allotted for volunteers to run.

"It was important that we gave everyone the opportunity to participate," said Sergeant Stone.

The individual or team was responsible for counting laps. Altogether, 886 laps were completed by approximately 55 volunteers. In the end $1,360 was raised with help from about 200 supporters.
Whether volunteers ran for the full two hours or just gave a donation, their contributions will be sent to Washington to add to the Air Force's donation.