Donation Requests Approved at the June 2025 Board Meeting
President Paul Boeckman opened the meeting by highlighting the work of the Centerville Noon Optimist Club. He announced that $8200 in grants were approved during the June 9, 2025, CNO Board meeting.
- $2500 to the CE3 Community Enrichment, Encouragement and Empowerment organization that serves children at Chevy Chase
- $200 for an Eagle Scout project to build a traffic light for Safetyville Square
- $5000 to the Centerville Washington Park District to help fund a motorized adult changing table at Oak Grove Park – this is where the Top Soccer program is held for a few weeks each year
- $500 for the Ohio District convention in August which makes CNO the Appetizers Sponsor
Freedom Whiskey: Krista Hollingsworth Shares Her Story
President Paul Boeckman introduced Krista Hollingsworth, owner of the Freedom Whiskey Company. The website is HaveaShotofFreedom.com. She began by thanking the club for the invitation and the opportunity to share her story.
Krista grew up in the Cincinnati area and attended Mount Notre Dame High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology from Ohio University in 2009. That same year, shortly after graduation, she went on a family vacation to Cancun where she met Zach Hollingsworth. Zach had just completed Officer Candidate School in the Marine Corps and was on a short trip with his brother before reporting to Camp Lejeune. It turned out that both Krista and Zach were from Ohio, living just 45 minutes apart. Their chance meeting in Mexico became the beginning of a deep connection.
They stayed in touch, and after Zach returned from an eight-and-a-half-month deployment, Krista moved to North Carolina. Zach proposed the day after his return. After completing his service in 2012, Zach became a teacher and basketball coach at Centerville High School. Later, he earned an MBA in business finance and took a civilian contracting job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. With a long-standing dream of launching his own whiskey company, Zach began researching and preparing. After more than two years of planning and licensing, Freedom Whiskey Company was launched in July 2017. That September, Krista and Zach welcomed their son, making it a life-changing year.
Wanting to give back to fellow veterans, Zach organized the first Freedom Whiskey Veterans Day event just a few months later. Despite only having about a month to plan, the event drew 100 guests and raised more than $6,000 for a veteran-focused charity. That tradition continued each year, and so did the company’s growth.
Sadly, in October 2021, Zach passed away after a long battle with depression and PTSD. Krista spoke candidly about the grief that followed and her initial uncertainty about continuing the business. Her focus was on their son and finding stability in a difficult time. That November, however, with help from the community, she carried on with the Veterans Day event and raised over $32,000 for the foundation Zach had created.
In the years that followed, Krista slowly stepped back into her role with the company, first by helping with events and later taking full leadership. In 2023, the Veterans Day fundraiser raised over $64,000 for two veteran organizations. In May of that year, she left her job in property management to focus full-time on the business. Freedom Whiskey is now sold in six states and is bottled in Kentucky using whiskey sourced from a distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The company offers both 90-proof and 115-proof versions of their product.
Krista described how Freedom Whiskey has expanded its impact beyond Veterans Day. At last year’s event, a partner company, Willow Creek, helped launch a new initiative that provided a full bathroom remodel for a local disabled veteran named Mike. That project inspired a new campaign called the Rebuild and Honor Project, which will be the focus of the summer fundraiser on July 31 at Benham’s Grove. The goal is to support another veteran in need—or possibly more than one.
She invited attendees to support the cause by attending events, donating raffle items, sponsoring the fundraiser, or helping spread the word. Details are available on the Freedom Whiskey website and Facebook page, where updates, merchandise, and stories from past events are shared.
Fred Rojas
Fred Rojas, past commander of VFW Post 9550, also spoke to the impact of Krista’s efforts. He praised Freedom Whiskey for helping smaller veteran organizations and giving a voice to those who often don’t ask for help. He shared how Zach began a program at Centerville High School that brought veterans into classrooms to speak with students—a program that continues to this day with support from teachers and the VFW.
Thank You Krista Hollingsworth
Thank you, Krista Hollingsworth, for sharing your story, honoring Zach’s legacy, and continuing to support our nation’s veterans through Freedom Whiskey.
Freedom Whiskey Previous Talk from Zach Hollingsworth
You can read previous CNOtes when Zach Hollingsworth told us about his journey and why he started Freedom Whiskey.
Freedom Whiskey Co., Zach Hollingsworth, the founder of Freedom Whiskey Co
The excerpt from the article is, “They strive to provide the highest quality bourbon in America while building a family of passionate whiskey drinkers. The company is dedicated to creating whiskey that honors the heritage of our country while providing employment opportunities to veterans who have served or are currently serving, their family members and those who seek to make a difference in general.”
CNO 2.0 Venue and Details
The venue for tonight’s CNO 2.0 meeting was Loose Ends Brewing, 890 S Main St, Centerville, Ohio.
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.