{"id":12394,"date":"2026-05-26T10:31:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=12394"},"modified":"2026-05-26T10:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:42:42","slug":"2-51-for-251-years-exchange-shoppers-help-strengthen-soldiers-through-aer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2026\/05\/26\/2-51-for-251-years-exchange-shoppers-help-strengthen-soldiers-through-aer\/","title":{"rendered":"$2.51 for 251 Years: Exchange Shoppers Help Strengthen Soldiers Through AER"},"content":{"rendered":"

DALLAS<\/strong> \u2014 For 251 years, the Army has taken care of its own. Throughout June, Army & Air Force Exchange Service shoppers can continue that tradition<\/a> with a $2.51 donation to Army Emergency Relief (AER)\u2014one cent for every year of service.<\/p>\n

From May 29 to July 3, authorized shoppers visiting the PX, BX or Express can add a $2.51 contribution at the register, including self-checkout, to AER\u2014the official nonprofit charity of the Army that benefits Soldiers and their families with financial challenges associated with emergencies, education and unexpected challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Exchange and AER share a common mission to take care of Soldiers and their families,\u201d said Exchange Director\/CEO Tom Shull, an Army Veteran. \u201cAER has been a lifeline for Soldiers and their families in their most challenging moments. It is an honor for the Exchange to do its part in ensuring the military community is taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2025, shoppers donated more than $2.5 million to military relief organizations, including $1.5 million to AER, and additional contributions to the Air Force Aid Society and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.\u00a0Since 2017, shoppers have donated a total of $15.4 million to military relief organizations, more than $9 million of which has gone directly to AER.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe generosity of Exchange shoppers has made a real difference in the lives of Soldiers and their families,\u201d said retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Tony Grinston, AER CEO. \u201cNo Soldier should have to face a crisis alone. Every donation allows AER to be there for Soldiers and their families when they need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the Exchange\u2019s support for military relief funds, visit Publicaffairs-sme.com\/Community\/give. To learn more about AER, visit https:\/\/www.armyemergencyrelief.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Facebook-friendly version: <\/strong>The Army takes care of its own and so do Exchange shoppers. Starting May 29, authorized shoppers visiting the PX, BX or Express can add a $2.51 contribution at the register, including self-checkout to Army Emergency Relief\u2014the Army\u2019s only official nonprofit charity benefiting Soldiers and their families during financial challenges. Read more: https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-3dU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

— 30 —<\/p>\n

Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing\u00a0valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 51st-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $15 billion\u00a0in earnings that support the military community, including through contributions to critical military Quality-of-Life programs.\u00a0<\/strong>The Exchange is a nonappropriated fund entity of the Department of War and is directed by a Board of Directors. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at\u00a0http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0follow us on X at\u00a0https:\/\/x.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

Media Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Zach Wright, 214-312-6300, or WrightZ@aafes.com.<\/p>\n

Follow the Exchange:<\/p>\n

Facebook:\u00a0 www.facebook.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter:\u00a0 https:\/\/twitter.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

Instagram: @shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DALLAS \u2014 For 251 years, the Army has taken care of its own. Throughout June, Army & Air Force Exchange Service shoppers can continue that tradition with a $2.51 donation to Army Emergency Relief (AER)\u2014one cent for every year of service. From May 29 to July 3, authorized shoppers visiting the PX, BX or Express […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":12429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25,303],"tags":[160,125,174,106,73,107,258],"class_list":["post-12394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press_releases","category-store-ops","tag-aafes","tag-aer","tag-army-air-force-exchange-service","tag-army-and-air-force-exchange-service","tag-army-emergency-relief","tag-exchange","tag-military-families"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2026\/05\/26\/2-51-for-251-years-exchange-shoppers-help-strengthen-soldiers-through-aer\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"$2.51 for 251 Years: Exchange Shoppers Help Strengthen Soldiers Through AER","url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2026\/05\/26\/2-51-for-251-years-exchange-shoppers-help-strengthen-soldiers-through-aer\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2026\/05\/26\/2-51-for-251-years-exchange-shoppers-help-strengthen-soldiers-through-aer\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/PR_AER-DONATIONS_R2b.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/PR_AER-DONATIONS_R2b.png"},"articleSection":"Press Releases","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zach Wright"}],"creator":["Zach Wright"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Exchange Newsroom","logo":""},"keywords":["aafes","aer","army & air force exchange service","army and air force exchange service","army emergency relief","exchange","military families"],"dateCreated":"2026-05-26T15:31:32Z","datePublished":"2026-05-26T15:31:32Z","dateModified":"2026-05-26T15:42:42Z"},"rendered":"