“To support first responders and their families in times of need.” This is the mission of the First Responder Whiskey Society (FRWS), a nonprofit organization with a vision for impact in the toughest times that first responders and their families face.
Founded in 2020 as a social club to provide solace in a time when first responders were in the midst of trying times, the initial goal was to provide a place where first responders from every background could “gather in camaraderie and support of each other.”
“During FRWS’s first year, one of our founding members, Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 Sergeant Harry Cohen, tragically passed from an on-duty heart attack. Our group was devastated and left wondering, 'what can we do?' Sergeant Cohen’s entire department was reeling from their loss while trying to take care of his wife and children.
"The group rallied behind the idea to purchase a barrel of whiskey, sell it, and raise money for his family. And thus, the group found its mission: to use whiskey to help first responders and their families in their time of need,” the website says. In 2022, the group became a 501(c)(3) organization.
Fundraising through their single-barrel whiskey program and commemorative whiskey bottles, the First Responder Whiskey Society is helping save lives and commemorating those who have passed away. To date, FRWS has raised $120k, supported 50 causes, and has 10,000 worldwide members. First responders and their families can rest assured that this organization is there to help.
“Our hope and ambition for all of these projects is that when a first responder has passed, what we hope happens every single year on the anniversary of their end of watch, the family can open up a commemorative bottle and have a toast to remember them,” co-founder Nick Nguyen told Law Enforcement Today.
Now, this organization needs help. During a recent conversation with Law Enforcement Today, Nguyen described a tragic fire. The fire began in a garage and destroyed somewhere between 600 and 800 bottles of whiskey along with administrative supplies such as welcome kits for members. The fire also left the home that Nguyen shares with his wife Sarah uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.
“Our heart is for serving others and despite what happened to our house, the outpouring of support from the first responders has been amazing. We are still happy to do fundraisers and help our first responders,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen is a first responder himself, serving as a police sergeant in San Diego. He and his family along with their charity are facing extensive costs to repair and replace what was lost in the fire.
A family member has set up a GoFundMe to assist in this unthinkable crisis.
Founded in 2020 as a social club to provide solace in a time when first responders were in the midst of trying times, the initial goal was to provide a place where first responders from every background could “gather in camaraderie and support of each other.”
“During FRWS’s first year, one of our founding members, Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 Sergeant Harry Cohen, tragically passed from an on-duty heart attack. Our group was devastated and left wondering, 'what can we do?' Sergeant Cohen’s entire department was reeling from their loss while trying to take care of his wife and children.
"The group rallied behind the idea to purchase a barrel of whiskey, sell it, and raise money for his family. And thus, the group found its mission: to use whiskey to help first responders and their families in their time of need,” the website says. In 2022, the group became a 501(c)(3) organization.
Fundraising through their single-barrel whiskey program and commemorative whiskey bottles, the First Responder Whiskey Society is helping save lives and commemorating those who have passed away. To date, FRWS has raised $120k, supported 50 causes, and has 10,000 worldwide members. First responders and their families can rest assured that this organization is there to help.
“Our hope and ambition for all of these projects is that when a first responder has passed, what we hope happens every single year on the anniversary of their end of watch, the family can open up a commemorative bottle and have a toast to remember them,” co-founder Nick Nguyen told Law Enforcement Today.
Now, this organization needs help. During a recent conversation with Law Enforcement Today, Nguyen described a tragic fire. The fire began in a garage and destroyed somewhere between 600 and 800 bottles of whiskey along with administrative supplies such as welcome kits for members. The fire also left the home that Nguyen shares with his wife Sarah uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.
“Our heart is for serving others and despite what happened to our house, the outpouring of support from the first responders has been amazing. We are still happy to do fundraisers and help our first responders,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen is a first responder himself, serving as a police sergeant in San Diego. He and his family along with their charity are facing extensive costs to repair and replace what was lost in the fire.
A family member has set up a GoFundMe to assist in this unthinkable crisis.
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