By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Total Quality Logistics, a freight brokerage firm headquartered in Union Township, donated $1,000 to the United Fresh Start Foundation’s national Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative.

LMSB2S aims to increase students’ fruit and vegetable consumption at school lunch by donating salad bars to schools. Since 2010, more than 4,100 schools nationwide have received salad bars.

School salad bars are an effective way to increase students’ fruit and vegetable consumption, empowering them to make their own healthy choices and encouraging healthier eating habits, according to a press release.

Salad bars also help schools meet new school lunch nutrition standards, which require increased servings of fruits and vegetable each day.

“We chose the United Fresh Start Foundation and its Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative because it’s very much in keeping with TQL’s corporate giving plan, which focuses on, among other things, health and wellness and children’s initiatives,” said Mark D. Motz, communications specialist for TQL, in an email. “This program addresses healthier food options for children across the country, and that’s just a great investment to make.”

The donation was made in conjunction with TQL’s Moves That Matter program, which is administered by TQL Cares, the company’s employee-driven community service initiative.

“We are honored that Total Quality Logistics has selected to recognize our foundation’s work to support salad bars for schools,” said Andrew Marshall, Director of Foundation Programs and Partnerships for the United Fresh Produce Association in a press release.

“Kids love to make their own selections from a school salad bar and it gets them engaged in the process of choosing healthy foods.”

He added, “Additionally, once installed, the salad bar is often a conversation starter, engaging teachers, students, parents and others in the community about the importance of eating more fruits and veggies, and making healthy meal and snack choices.”

LMSB2S also supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to improve children’s health and end childhood obesity in a generation.

“In recent years TQL has conducted both Biggest Loser competitions and, more recently, DietBet competitions to encourage its employees to eat more sensibly and maintain a healthy weight,” Motz said in an email.

“And, we do have a salad bar in the cafeteria at company headquarters to make healthy options easily available.”

Additionally, TQL was a sponsor of the 2015 Tour de Fresh, a four day cycling event to raise funds for salad bars for schools. The event started on Oct. 19 in Hickory, North Carolina, and finished on Oct. 22 in Atlanta. TQL arranged the truck that delivered the bicycles and support vehicles for the Tour, which raised a record total for Salad Bars to Schools, according to Motz.