Staff Sgt. Nicholas Race, Team Redstone Arsenal 2011 Army Emergency Relief Campaign Co-Chairman; Sgt. Nelson Villanueva, US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command AER Campaign team; Lt. Gen. Richard P. Formica, USASMDC/A...

It is that time of the year again when our Army comes together to support and "take care of our own."

The annual Army Emergency Relief campaign is under way through May 31 with hopes of exceeding last year's $265,000 in contributions.

AER is the Army's own emergency financial assistance organization and is dedicated to "Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own." Funds are made available to commanders having AER sections to provide emergency financial assistance to Soldiers - active & retired - and their dependents when there is a valid need.

Some of the AER fund-raisers include the following:

March 22 - Chili cookoff contest, sponsored by USASMDC/ARSTRAT, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in building 5220. For information, call KC Bertling at 955-4082.

March 23 - The AMCOM Integrated Materiel Management Center will host a "Fun Walk" at 2:30 p.m. in front of building 5302; for information call Niecey Dorsey 876-1735. A barbecue is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the building.

April 6 and May 4 and 25 - USASMDC/ARSTRAT will host a pizza lunch from 11 a.m. to noon in building 5220.

April 12 - A "Chicken and Biscuit Sale" begins at 7 a.m. in the corridor of buildings 5300 and 5301.

April 16 - A golf tournament, sponsored by IMMC's Maintenance Directorate, will be at FoxRun Golf Course in Meridianville. For more information, call Celeste Billings at 313-2041 or 278-9617, or call Ralph Miller 652-2829 or 876-5806.

April 18-29 - The AMCOM G-3/Command Analysis Directorate's annual book sale for Army Emergency Relief will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in building 5300, on the first floor in the corridor between 5303 and 5304.

April 26-May 17 - There will be an online auction for four autographed footballs. The balls are signed by University of Alabama coach Nick Saban, Auburn University coach Gene Chizik, University of Georgia coach Mark Richt and University of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley. The auction will end on May 17 at 4:30 p.m. For more information contact Capt. Blair Tighe at 955-0594.

May 6 - The IMMC Golf Tournament will be held at the Links.

AER is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in 1942 by the Secretary of War and the Army Chief of Staff. AER's sole mission is to help Soldiers and their dependents.

For more AER information, contact campaign chairman Tighe, or call Kathleen Riester of Army Community Service at 876-5397.