Reston, Va., [March 15, 2010] The recent event, TOPGUN-The Real Story, raised $40,000 in funds for the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation (CBBCF) of Middleburg Virginia. Applied Knowledge Group (AKG) sponsored the event, and invited family, friends, and the community to come take a behind the scenes look at the creation of the film TopGun. The large turnout enjoyed an entertaining presentation by former TOPGUN instructor CAPT C.J. "HEATER" Heatley III, who participated in the making of the now classic movie. There were several aviators and military veterans in attendance who shared stories and experiences during the reception. Generous donations, an exceptional silent auction, and an Xbox raffle helped make the event a complete success. Heatley commented, "I truly enjoy being able to share my experiences, both with TOPGUN and the film. It was particularly satisfying to talk to the kids, and watch their excitement as they take it all in. The fact that this event serves a great cause really makes it special. I am extremely pleased we were able to raise so much for the CBBCF."
“We realize the importance of giving back to the community. The Foundation does an excellent job of meeting the needs of the citizens of Loudoun and Fauquier County who suffer from breast cancer, and we are happy that the success of this event will help support their worthy cause” notes Michael Howland, Middleburg resident and Chief Executive Officer of AKG’s parent company, Tioga Holdings. All proceeds from this event will go directly to CBBCF and be dedicated to breast cancer prevention and early detection through screening and education; providing support and community outreach to those individuals and families facing breast cancer in Loudoun and Fauquier counties; and advance scientific research in the fight to eradicate breast cancer. In 2009 80% of CBBCF funds were dedicated to local women and 20% were given to the Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Institute in support of a bloodstream circulating tumor cell research project.
James Atkins, Chairman of the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation notes "Not only did this event raise much needed money to support local women, it brought together more than 130 young and old aviation enthusiasts who were incredibly thrilled by Captain Heatley's presentation." Atkins adds "AKG performed wonders with this fundraiser and the Foundation is deeply appreciative."
AKG would like to thank the Hill School, as well as all participants and donors. Without their support the event would not have been possible.
About the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation
The CBBCF was founded in early 2007 by Middleburg resident James P. Atkins, who lost his late wife, Cheryl Clayton Atkins, to breast cancer in 2003. The Fund is led by breast cancer husbands, sons, daughters, survivors, and friends who conduct special events and raise funds directly from local residents and businesses. To date, the fund has raised over $100,000.
About Applied Knowledge Group, Inc.
Applied Knowledge Group (AKG) is a premier business and technology consulting company that provides innovative business collaboration solutions for government, commercial and non-profit clients. Our services include planning and execution of SharePoint implementations that create intranet, extranet and website solutions, consulting services, and customized training tailored to your needs. AKG is proud to be a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in the implementation and support of Microsoft SharePoint and related technologies.
Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, AKG was founded in 1996 as an early innovator in collaboration technology. Our goal is to support the vision of a web-based Virtual Work Environment (VWE) to facilitate collaboration, knowledge transfer and enable more informed business decisions. To achieve this goal, we focus on four key components: People, Process, Technology and Learning. Our services align with core and include collaboration strategy support, change management and training services, SharePoint implementation and other technology services, geospatial data visualization, and software application development.
Current engagements include a 42,000 seat Microsoft SharePoint implementation for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as current and prior engagements including Commander, Navy Installation Command, Department of Homeland Security, FedExKinkos, Weidemann Associates, Curtiss Wright Embedded Computing, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the American Society of Hematology, the American Bankers Association, Weyerhaeuser Corp., Learning Tree International and the United States Marine Corps.