Army Emergency Relief raises more than $122,000

By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff WriterJune 19, 2014

Army Emergency Relief raises more than $122,000
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (June 19, 2014) -- Fort Rucker once again proved it knows how to give to those in need as the local 2014 Army Emergency Relief Campaign closed after raising more than $122,000.

A ceremony was held at Bldg. 101 to close the 2014 AER season. Col. Stuart J. McRae, Fort Rucker garrison commander and AER chairman, presented a check to Beth Gunter, AER campaign manager, in the amount of $122,582.66 to go to helping Soldiers and Families in need.

Maj. Anthony Whittaker, AER campaign coordinator, said none of the campaign's success could have been realized without the support of Soldiers, units and AER assistant coordinators for the campaign.

"Their efforts were critical to the day-to-day efforts and overall success of this year's campaign," said Whittaker.

Among the contributors was the Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union, which donated $15,000 to AER's efforts through its annual golf tournament.

"The Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union has historically been one of our biggest supporters, and this year was no different," said the campaign coordinator. "Their efforts reflect unwavering support for Fort Rucker and our Soldiers, and theirs is a special partnership that we sincerely appreciate."

The money raised for AER is done through different units throughout the installation by educating people about AER and inspiring them to donate.

In addition to that, different events, such as the golf tournament, are held throughout the campaign to benefit AER.

Of the more than $120,000 raised by AER, retirees were responsible for raising more than $55,000, the greatest amount raised from the entire Fort Rucker population.

"We cannot do what we do as Soldiers without the assistance of our retirees," said the garrison commander. "They are the most generous folks we have. These guys always come up to the mark and always give a huge amount."

McRae also stressed that not all assistance was in the form of money, mentioning the efforts of Gunter and Mimi Brooks, the former campaign manager.

"These two ladies go out of their way to help Soldiers," he said. "They're both mothers, and I think when a Soldier comes in needing their help, they put on their mom hat and think of these Soldiers in terms of what a mom would think for their own child. They go the full measure to make sure that every Soldier is taken care of, and responsibly so."

He also thanked Whittaker for his efforts in making the campaign a success during his time as campaign coordinator.

Whittaker has helped the campaign raise more than $275,000 during his two years as campaign coordinator, said McRae, but added that it wasn't a single effort that led to the campaign's success.

"When we went into this, I challenged a lot of folks out there to really go out there and inspire people with information, and I believe that our folks really did that," said McRae. "They went out there and gave it their all and we had a great campaign this year. It inspires me to watch people do great things, so I want to thank everyone for really stepping it up."

Related Links:

USAACE and Fort Rucker on Twitter

USAACE and Fort Rucker on Facebook

Army Emergency Relief

Fort Rucker, Ala.

U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence