Cadets and faculty of the U.S. Military Academy’s Department of Systems Engineering held "The Gray and Green Benefit" at the First-Class Club Oct. 16 to raise money for the Pentagon Victims’ Fund.

The fund was designed by Army Emergency Relief to provide financial assistance to the families of Army personnel killed during the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

The benefit was organized by the USMA Chapter of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, or INFORMS, and featured the rock and blues music of the Dean Scala Band of Middletown, N.Y.

"Cadets and USMA staff and faculty have looked for ways to provide assistance in the wake of the terrorist attacks," said Cadet 1st Class Cody Beck, INFORMS president. "This benefit provided a means to give something to those Army families directly affected."

Maj. John B. Willis, event organizer and officer-in-charge of INFORMS, said everyone put forth a tremendous effort to make the event work.

"It was great to see the efforts of cadets, the academic department, the Directorate of Cadet Activities and a fantastic local area band synergistically combine to help such a valuable cause," Willis said.

The benefit succeeded in raising $831 for the Pentagon Victims’ Fund.

"I was very nicely surprised by the generosity of cadets in their donations to the fund," Beck said.

Maj. Chris Garrett, Director of Cadet Programs, agreed adding, "The cadets truly demonstrated a spirit of volunteerism and caring -- attributes that will take them far as future military leaders."