CNO 2.0 Meeting at Zink’s Fine Wines & Meats
The venue for tonight’s CNO 2.0 meeting was Zink’s Meats and Fine Wines at 409 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd, Centerville, Ohio. The meeting kicked off with an enthusiastic round of applause for the Zink’s staff, who continue to be outstanding hosts for our gatherings. The food and drinks were excellent.
Crayons to Classrooms at CNO 2.0: Supporting Teachers with a New Service Project
Greg Fay opened the evening by highlighting the mission and generosity of our club. He shared that in 2025 alone, we have given over $27,000 to Centerville and other local schools, nearly $9,500 to Dayton Children’s Hospital and child wellness initiatives, and over $5,000 to Centerville-Washington Park District. Over the past six years, those totals add up to nearly $140,000, $129,000, and $72,000 respectively. Just this past Monday, our Tom Frazier Tee Off for Youth fundraiser raised more than $40,000.
This meeting also included something new for CNO 2.0: a service project built into the evening.
Greg introduced Amy Kopp, Executive Director of Crayons to Classrooms, who spoke about the mission of her organization and led us through the project. Crayons to Classrooms is a nonprofit that provides free school supplies to teachers serving students in under-resourced schools across the Miami Valley. They support 143 schools where at least 60 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Amy explained that teachers often spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to provide basic supplies, and Crayons to Classrooms helps fill that gap. Their teacher store is stocked with pencils, notebooks, art supplies, hygiene items, books, and more. In the past year, they distributed over $2.8 million in supplies. Since the organization began 17 years ago, they’ve given away over $40 million worth.
For our service project, Amy guided us through assembling journals. Each one consists of ten sheets of paper with a front and back cover, stapled along the edge. These simple but important items are used by students for writing prompts, math, or personal journaling. We assembled 100 journals, which will be distributed through their store.
In advance of the meeting, members were invited to bring in school supplies to donate. Thanks to everyone who responded—dozens of bags were collected at Zink’s. Donations included high-need items like crayons, pencils, notebooks, folders, glue sticks, scissors, construction paper, and both regular and dry erase markers. These items will go directly toward supporting local teachers and students.
Amy also explained how individuals can support their efforts beyond donating supplies. By volunteering five hours, you can earn a shopping trip for a teacher and even designate it for someone you know.
If you’d like to learn more about the organization’s background, goals, and impact, see the earlier article from April 26, 2022.
Thank You
Thank you, Amy Kopp, for helping us support teachers and students in a direct, meaningful way through Crayons to Classrooms. And thank you to everyone who donated supplies and participated in making this a successful evening.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Big Backyard Party
Erin Dickerson recently announced that volunteers are needed for the Big Backyard Party on Saturday, July 26 at Oak Grove Park. Volunteers will help at the casting station (don’t worry—there are no worms, no live fish, and no hooks) and serve as club ambassadors to talk about the Optimist Club. Shifts are available from 10:45 AM to 2:15 PM, including setup, teardown, and helping with the activity. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
Kids Day in the Park
Bob Lawson recently announced that Kids Day in the Park will take place on Saturday, August 2. He needs several volunteers to cover the two shifts. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
About CNO 2.0
CNO 2.0 is a club within a club of the Centerville Noon Optimist Club. CNO (and CNO 2.0) is a world class service organization. Being a member of either club allows their members all the same opportunities to participate in fundraising and club activities. CNO 2.0 was created in 2017 and is very much a part of the Centerville Noon Optimist Club started in 1968. CNO has given away over $2 million during its history. CNO is a group of like-minded members that are passionate about helping youth and having fun in the process.
Annual Fundraisers
- Avenue of Flags
- Christmas Tree Lot
- Golf Outing
Major Activities for the Youth in our Community
- Build-a-Bear at Children’s Hospital or for other child-related organizations
- Fishing Derby in June
- Kid’s Day in the Park in August
- Egg Hunt
- Safety on Wheels Bike Rodeo
- Haunted Trail
Volunteer and Social Event Signups Available Online with the Virtual Clipboard
Did you know you can now sign up to volunteer or participate in social events using a simple online registration form from your phone or PC? The Member Calendar has a complete list of upcoming volunteer opportunities and social events.