CFC set to kick off Monday Published Sept. 26, 2007 By Karen Abeyasekere 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs RAF MILDENHALL, England -- The Combined Federal Campaign - which, along with Air Force Assistance Fund, is one of the Air Force's two annual sanctioned fundraisers - kicks off Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 30. "CFC is a great way for military members to donate to their favorite charity," said Capt. Del Rivera, 100th Operations Group and CFC community/area project officer for Team Mildenhall. Every base unit has a coordinator, who in turn leads key people (about one per 20 people) in soliciting donations. Those key personnel are responsible for making contact with 100 percent of the people assigned to the unit. The CFC supports a vast array of different charities, as well as providing money for each individual base's family support and youth programs. "When someone chooses to donate to that particular program, all of the money comes directly back to our community at RAF Mildenhall," said Captain Rivera. "The CFC is a good way for us to give back to the community. "While people can go directly to a particular charity to donate, (CFC) is easier and a good way to do it," he added. "It's also easier for the charity, which saves money on advertising costs, which means more money is available for charity work." Captain Rivera said the American Red Cross is one of the many available charities to which people can donate. "They've done lots of great work, and this is a good time to remember them - especially since 9/11 and post-Hurricane Katrina," he said. All U.S. federal employees, military and civilian, can contribute. Team Mildenhall's goal is to raise $280,000 this year. That's is the same amount raised in 2006, which exceeded last year's goal of $270,000, said Capt. Chris Saettel, 100th OG CFC unit coordinator, adding that 29 percent of the base contributed last year. Key personnel aim to make face-to-face contact with everyone during the two-month drive, but contributions will continue to be accepted during the year. Donations can be set up online, as a one-off payment or as a monthly allotment. Payments can also be made in a variety of ways: cash, check, payroll deduction or credit card. Captain Saettel said he plans to donate to cancer research charities. "My aunt died of breast cancer three years ago, so I contribute to various cancer research charities," he said. "I go through and see which of them are most prominent, and I choose those." About CFC: The campaign began in the early 1960s to coordinate fundraising efforts of various charitable organizations. It was designed so federal workers, who could donate, would only be solicited once in the workplace, and would have the opportunity to make charitable donations through a payroll deduction. Editor's note: For more information, visit www.cfcoverseas.org, call your unit coordinator for details on squadron key personnel, or call Captain Rivera at 238-8765. Team Mildenhall CFC unit coordinators: 100th Air Refueling Wing - Capt. Brent Toth, 238-8667 100th Operations Group - Capt. Chris Saettel, 238-8608 100th Maintenance Group - 1st Lt. Kathryn Williams, 238-8912 100th Mission Support Group - Master Sgt. John Arquette, 238-3312 3rd Air Force - Capt. George Henney, 238-2132 352nd Special Operations Group - Master Sgt. Darnell Burton, 238-2200 501st Combat Support Wing - Staff Sgt. Scott Baker, 236-8336