Helen and Bob Keiser of Madison, CT, are the proud parents of Andrew Pedersen-Keel, made the ultimate sacrifice as the parents of an active U.S. Military person when Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel was killed in action in Afghanistan on March 11, 2013.  Andrew was the 64th Connecticut Military service person killed in action since September 11, 2001.  Andrew was a West Point graduate, a Ranger, and a member of the U.S. Army 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and only 28 years old.  

 During their grieving, Bob and Helen decided that it was important to keep the legacy of Andrew alive.  We’ve all learned from Bob and Helen that the worst result of losing a family member on active-duty service is to be forgotten.  Bob and Helen did not want that to happen to Andrew.

 With the help of family members and friends, Bob and Helen started the APK Charities (501 c3) in memory of Andrew in 2014. The mission is to serve as a bridge connecting our society and our Armed Forces, opening our hearts and minds to serve those who protect us.  Bob and Helen, as “Gold Star Parents”, interact with Military families and all Americans to raise and donate money to military centric charities, individual Veterans based on financial need and to raise awareness of the sacrifices made by of our active-duty Military personnel and their families.