Some of the deployed troops who have
received their "wish list" items from OTA.
OPERATION TROOP
APPRECIATION
One woman’s act of kindness leads to helping more than 130,000 U.S. troops.
K
risten Holloway Querriera didn’t know
anyone serving in the military when
The Iraq War started in March 2003.
“I remember everyone feeling very patriotic
and emotions were high,” says Querriera. “I
saw a lot of American flags and yellow ribbon
bumper stickers on cars.”
About a year later, Querriera was working
at PPG Industries when a colleague’s brother
was deployed to Iraq. He and the other
37 National Guard soldiers in his platoon
were from Pittsburgh. She wanted to send
something to him and his troop and asked
him what they needed.
“I thought he’d say beef jerky and
ChapStick,” laughs Querriera. “He said that
they would really like Under Armour shirts.”
Experiencing sticker shock when she saw
the shirts were $25 each, she asked friends
and family to support her project. “I had
so many people sign up that I had enough
58 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Mt. Lebanon
money to supply the entire company of
119 soldiers,” says Querriera. “We not only
bought Under Armour shirts, but socks,
snacks and other things they could enjoy and
really use.”
She couldn’t believe the responses from
the soldiers: “They sent the most beautiful
handwritten thank-you letters expressing
how much the shirts meant to them and how
much they felt appreciated. That was really
my inspiration to do something bigger and
better for them.”
It led Querriera to found Operation Troop
Appreciation (OTA) in July 2004.
Working for PPG full time and taking
night classes at University of Pittsburgh’s
Katz Business School for her MBA,
Querriera needed help with her new venture.
“I went to Rick Winter, the dean at that time,
and asked for his advice because I didn’t
know anything about setting up a nonprofit,”
Kristen Holloway Querriera
Photo courtesy of Kristen Holloway Querriera.
BY KATHY RUDOLPH