Dover wins more than $20,000 in MatchUp base race

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman James Bolinger
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Team Dover won Air Mobility Command MatchUp for the second time in three years Sept. 1.

MatchUp is an annual AMC-wide services competition where Airmen play online scratch tickets to win cash and gift certificates to AMC services facilities. The base with the highest percentage of participants was declared the winner of the competition.

AMC set a goal of 2,853 participants for Dover, said Brian Roush, 436th Services Squadron deputy commander. Team Dover exceeded that goal by more than 1,000 people.

As a result, the 436th Services Squadron received $5,000 to spend on quality-of-life initiatives as a reward for winning the base-race competition. AMC also gave each base $200 for each day a base led the base race competition. Dover led for 88 straight days and received $17,600 toward quality-of-life improvements for all of our Airmen.

"I would like to congratulate all of you for helping Dover win the AMC MatchUp base race competition," said Col. Steven Harrison, 436th Airlift Wing commander. "Winning this was a team effort and took the participation of not only our Airmen, but DoD civilians and family members as well."

As an additional incentive for local units to participate in MatchUp, Services developed and funded a Squadron Challenge goal, said Mr. Roush. Any squadron that reached 100% participation would be entered into a drawing to win $2,000 or $1,000 in Services Bucks.

"However, in a true meaning of the wingman concept, the six squadrons have agreed to pool the prizes and divided it evenly between them," said, Mr. Roush. " So each of the six squadrons will receive $600 in Services Bucks. The winning squadrons can spend their Services Bucks on parties or unit events at The Landings Club, tournaments at Eagle Creek Golf Course, trophies or retirement gifts at Arts and Crafts, rentals from Outdoor Recreation, Squadron picnics, etc."

The squadrons that will receive the funds are the 436th Aerospace Medicine and Dental Squadrons, 436th Contracting Squadron, 436th Security Forces Squadron, 436th Comptroller Squadron and the 512th AW Wing Staff.

Team Dover also had several individual winners who received $3,000 and $1,000 in cash.

Tech. Sgt. Jonathon Thompson, 436th Medical Operations Squadron and Staff Sgt. Jason Stepper, 436th Maintenance Squadron, won $3,000 and $1,000 respectively.

"I was pleasantly surprised ; no one really expects that they will be the winner of this type of prize," said Sergeant Thompson, Family Practice Clinic NCO in-charge. The 23-year Air Force veteran doesn't know what he is going to spend the money on yet.

According to Mr. Roush, Services has several plans for the more than $17,000 that the base won for keeping the top slot for 88 days.

"The prize money is Non-Appropriated Fund dollars and we will use it in NAF activities to enhance quality-of-life programs and events on the installation throughout the year," said Mr. Roush. "One of the first events we will be using the money for is a free burger burn Oct. 18 during Wing Sports Day."

This is the second time in three years that Dover has won the AMC MatchUp Base Race.
"In 2006, Dover received $100,000 in Non-Appropriated Funds prize money and $25,000 in Appropriated Funds prize money from AMC for winning the Base Race," said Mr. Roush. "Services used the $100,000 to renovate the Bowling Center's King Pin Café, and the $25,000 to enhance intramural and varsity sports, and for incentive prizes for Wing Sports days in 2007."

The money we gained by participating in MatchUp is directly spent improving the quality of life of Dover's Airmen and their families, said Colonel Harrison. The way we spent that money from the 2006 win is a testament to that.

"I would like to thank everyone in the Services Squadron for all their hard work this summer and once again congratulate all of Team Dover for winning this prize," he said. "Congratulations to our individual and squadron winners. Make sure you plan some fun events ... your folks have earned it!"

"The 436th services Squadron would like to thank all Team Dover members who participated in the 2008 MatchUp program and we hope they enjoyed the program as well as the events and activities provided throughout the summer," said Mr. Roush.