Air Force charity ball set for March 12 Published Jan. 13, 2005 By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- The Air Force’s official charity ball returns in 2005 after the 2004 event raised more than $240,000 for the Air Force Aid Society.The ball is set for March 12 at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The committee stops taking reservations Feb. 4.“We’re well on our way to doing even better than last year,” said the ball’s publicist, Catherine Chilton.“There are no set fund-raising goals, but so far (more than) a third of the tickets are sold. We sold out last year, and we’ll do it again this year,” she said.This year’s proceeds again will go to the AFAS -- the only official charity specifically dedicated to helping Airmen.The AFAS promotes the Air Force mission by providing worldwide emergency assistance to Airmen and their families, sponsoring educational assistance programs, and offering a variety of base-enhancement programs.In 2002, total direct assistance to Airmen and families totaled $24.1 million.AFAS has been receiving record-breaking numbers of requests for aid since Sept. 11, 2001, and demand has not tapered, Ms. Chilton said.The charity ball raises the second highest single amount of money for AFAS. However, not all of that comes from ticket sales.“Last year many overseas Airmen sent donations to support the charity event even though they couldn’t attend the ball,” Ms. Chilton said. Some organizations paid for tickets for the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year or simply donated straight to AFAS as a result of the ball’s publicity on Air Force Link.For those close enough to attend, tickets range from $50 to $75 per person. Contact Linda Bolton at (703) 968-9061 or e-mail clbolton@juno.com, to buy tickets.To learn more about AFAS, visit www.afas.org/.