TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — It's the time of year when we give special honor to those brave men and women who've fought to protect our freedom.
Brandon King was one of those service members. Sadly, he did not make it back home from Afghanistan.
Now, a Tallahassee mom is keeping her soldier's memory alive, despite the grief she still feels nearly nine years later.
"He was funny, loving, caring, smart... he was so smart," said Freda King, Brandon King's mother.
Freda King says her son Brandon died too soon.
On July 14 2010, he was shot and killed while in combat in Afghanistan. He was just 23 years old.
To keep his memory alive his family now pays it forward with a scholarship to Tallahassee Community College in his honor.
"We raise money every year for the scholarship named after Brandon at TCC, helping kids get to college and respect a fellow veteran... it means a lot to us," said James Rinkel.
James Rinkel manages Growler Country in Tallahassee.
Each year on the Sunday before Veteran's Day, the restaurant honors King while raising money to help another student continue their education.
King's mother says it's a huge honor to give back to the school where he studied.
"Brandon didn't get to be a veteran per-say...he's a fallen soldier so to be able to combine the loss of him and honoring veterans...I can't think of a better time to do it," said King.
So far, Growler Country has contributed money and helped raised more than $85,000 in the past eight years for the scholarship fund.
For more information on how you can apply at https://www.tcc.fl.edu/.
