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The
Southeast Texas US Air Force Academy Parents' Association
helps support this fund. The name comes up at meetings but
we usually do not have time to explain it fully. This is a
more detailed look at the fund itself.
The Fund’s
primary purpose is to help finance travel so that a smallgroup
of Cadets can attend the funeral services of another Cadet.
The fund continually maintains a $10,000 reserve for this
purpose. Enabling the Cadets to participate in the funeral
service of a fellow cadet accomplishes two things. It helps
our cadets during an emotional time to say a final goodbye
to their very close friend and it helps support the family
involved when they see and meet a contingent of Cadets who
were closest to their son or daughter. The Cadets also serve
as the representatives of all other Cadets and Cadet families
at the hometown services. Cadets are not asked to repay these
funds. The funds are a gift made possible by the generous
donations of people like you
All funds
beyond the reserve are earmarked for other humanitarian purposes
such as enabling Cadets of limited financial means to be able
to travel home to visit a sick family member, close relative
or friend based on the recommendations of the Chaplain’s
Office and the Commandants Office. Cadet eligibility regarding
necessity of travel, as well as determining the level of a
Cadet’s financial need is also made by the Chaplain’s
Office and the Commandant’s Office. Not even the President
of the Rando Fund is involved in this process. It has always
been the opinion of the Fund’s leadership that those
decisions are best left to those most closely involved with
the Cadets and have the expertise necessary to determine a
Cadet’s level of personal, emotional and financial need.
Based on those recommendations, the Fund will either fully
or partially subsidize the cost of the travel. The cadet and
their family are not required to reimburse the fund. Again,
these funds are a gift made possible by your donations
Read
on about how and why this fund was started:
As we're
moving toward the start of the academic year and PW, I wanted
to take a moment to remind those of us who have been on this
forum for a while that the Rando Fund continues to need your
support as well as to introduce the Fund to the our newest
members to the AFA FamNet family to the mission of the Dennis
P. Rando Cadet Humanitarian Fund. In order to maintain the
legacy of this Fund and to enable it to continue to support
all cadets and cadet families, my hope is that you will take
just a few moments to read and learn how the Fund came to
be and how it supports your sons and daughters.
The Rando
Fund was the wonderful result of the tragic circumstances
surrounding the deaths of three AFA cadets and their flight
instructors in AFA flight training accidents in the mid to
late 90’s. One of those cadets was C1C Dennis Rando of
Massachusetts. At his funeral when it was learned that the
cadets who traveled to Massachusetts to honor their classmate
and represent all cadets and cadet families did so at their
own personal expense, the Cadets Parents Association of Eastern
Massachusetts made a request to other cadet families to donate
funds to help reimburse the cadets for their travel.
The response
to this request was in access of what was needed. Bob Caggiano,
the then President of the Eastern Massachusetts Parents' Club
came up with the idea of using the excess funds to establish
an ongoing humanitarian fund for the benefit of all cadets
as a way to honor Dennis' memory. With the help of many club
members, including Diane Mackey who served as the Fund's first
president and with the whole hearted support and guidance
of General Paul Stein (the Academy's then Superintendent)
and the support of cadet parents' clubs across the country,
the Dennis P. Rando Cadet Humanitarian Fund was born. The
AF and the AFA fully officially recognize and support the
Fund's mission.
 The
Fund’s primary purpose is to help finance travel so that
a group of cadets can attend the funeral services of another
cadet. Neither the AFA's, nor any of the other military academy
budgets have the resources to do this. The Fund continually
maintains a $10,000 reserve for this purpose so that at a
cadet's funeral, there will be six cadets to serve as an honor
guard. This contingent of cadets is comprised of the deceased
cadets close friends. Enabling the cadets to participate in
the funeral service of a fellow cadet accomplishes two things.
It helps the cadets during an emotional time to say a final
goodbye to their very close friend and it helps support the
family involved when they see and meet the cadets who were
closest to their son or daughter. The cadets also serve as
the representatives of all other cadets and cadet families
at the hometown services. Cadets are not asked to repay these
funds. The funds are a gift made possible by the generous
donations of people like you.
Additionally,
funds beyond the reserve are earmarked for other humanitarian
purposes such as enabling cadets of limited financial means
to be able to travel home to attend the funeral of a family
member, close relative or friend or to visit a sick family
member or friend. All determinations as to whom is selected
to be a part of the honor guard for a cadet funeral or needs
to travel home on emergency leave due to death or serious
illness at home and needs the resources of the Fund are made
by the Chaplains' Office and approved by the Commandant's
Office. Not even the President of the Rando Fund is involved
in this process. It has always been the opinion of the Fund’s
leadership that these decisions are best left to those most
closely involved with the cadets and have the expertise necessary
to determine a cadet’s level of personal, emotional and
financial need. In all circumstances where the Fund's resources
are used to pay for approved travel, neither the cadet nor
the cadet's family is required to reimburse the fund. The
funds are a gift made possible by your donations in support
of those who have chosen to attend this institution and to
serve their country. You should also know that the AFA is
the only service academy where the families, friends and graduates
of the AFA provide this type of support for their cadets/midshipmen.
You should
know just a couple of additional things about the Fund. Since
its inception, the Fund has raised and spent approximately
$147,000 dollars to support the cadets. Given the increased
cost of travel, especially the cost of emergency travel on
commercial airlines, the Fund needs your support more now
than in the past. Donations primarily are made by the families
of cadets (particularly those on the FamNet and Grad Net,)
as well as donations annually made by Parent's clubs from
across the country. To those who have contributed, I continue
to offer my sincere thanks on behalf of all the cadets and
cadet families who have benefited from your generosity. I
continue to ask for your support. To our new parents, I hope
that you'll join in our effort to support the Fund. At PW,
you can also support the Fund by attending the FamNet Dinner
and buying raffle tickets for the quilts that we will raffle
at the FamNet Dinner (more on that in a separate email.)
If you
could read the heartfelt letters of sincere appreciation I
receive from families who have lost a cadet as well as the
letters of thanks from cadets who have been able to attend
the funeral of a fallen comrade or be at the bedside of critically
ill family member or friend, you would immediately make a
donation. They are so incredibly grateful.
You should
also know that there is no other organization that provides
this type of support. The Air Force Academy Superintendents,
Commandants and Chaplains through the years have continually
expressed their support and appreciation of this Fund because
it fills a void at the Academy that is not a part of their
budget, nor is transportation for such situations offered
through the Air Force. Many officials at the Academy continue
to be impressed with the ability of the parents to organize
and help the cadets at a time of emotional need.
This Fund
supports any cadet in need, not just the cadets whose families
have made contributions. The Rando Fund has no affiliation
with any other fund raising organization and no other purpose
than to raise funds on behalf of cadets for the purposes stated.
What we
are most proud of, is the fact that 100% of every donation
the Fund receives goes into the Fund and the cadets. Because
the Rando Fund’s President and the Board of Trustees
volunteer their time to this cause, the fund is able to dedicate
100% of every donation to this effort. The Fund’s few
expenses are paid by dedicated donations. However, the Fund
remains viable only as a result of continued donations. In
order to be successful, we annually need about $15,000 to
be able to serve every cadet that may need the Fund’s
assistance.
If you
would like to assist the Fund’s mission of helping cadets
in a time of need, please send a tax deductible contribution
to:
Jack Bernazzani
Rando Fund
136 Orange Street
Roslindale, MA 02131.
Please
make checks payable to "Rando Fund."
A web
page is maintained for the fund at: http://www.falconpride.com/rando/
Thank
you in advance for your support. I'm counting on you!
Jack Bernazzani
President, Dennis P. Rando Cadet Humanitarian Fund Roslindale,
MA 1st Lt Joel, IP, Moody AFB, Valdosta, GA LCpl Kate, Marine
Corps Air Station, Yuma, AZ
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