From left, Keith Maupin, TQL’s Executive Vice President Kerry Byrne , and Vice Chairman of the Yellow Ribbon Support Foundation David Charpentier, hold the recornd-breaking donation check. With them are veterans who are now TQL employees.
Total Quality Logistics presented the Yellow Ribbon Support Center and the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Fun with a check for $13, 771, the largest amount raised by the company to date from its annual $1 Per Load Memorial Day fund-raiser. One dollar from every load that TQL arranged during the week of May 14-May 20 was donated toward this effort.

The $1 Per Load fund-raiser started four years ago as a way for the company to honor fallen heroes and support the men and women who serve the country in active military duty. With today’s donation, the company has collected more than $36,000 for these two organizations.

“As you can see by all of the TQL employees with us today who are military veterans or active members of the National Guard and reserves, this is a meaningful way we can honor our own people and all those who serve our country,” said Executive Vice President, Kerry Byrne, during the company’s morning Memorial Day ceremony.

The money raised helps defray the costs of shipping tens of thousands of care packages to servicemen and women serving in harm’s way, and provides college scholarships to graduating seniors who attend the same school as a fallen hero.

The Yellow Ribbon Support Center and the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Fund were founded in 2006 in honor of SSGT Matt Maupin, the first POW/MIA of the Iraqi Freedom war. Maupin’s remains were recovered in Iraq in March 2008.