Photos by Lorn Spolter and Sue Kist
From left: Aidan Morris, Kasey, Kaden, Becca and Kameron Kist
As 14-year residents of New Albany, Becca and Kasey Kist know the values of their community and strive to better the area they call home.
Whether they’re spending time at their one-year-old Freshii location on Main Street, planning meaningful health- and service-oriented events such as the Thanks for Giving 4-Miler, or training for their next feat of athleticism, this duo focuses on what’s important: health, family and community.
If they seem like a perfect fit for lively and philanthropic New Albany, that’s not by accident. When the couple was looking for the perfect place to raise a family, they had some criteria in mind.
“We are – and always have been – really active, and we loved the idea of being able to walk everywhere and bike everywhere,” says Becca. “So that was also one of our requirements; we just wanted to be able to navigate the town without having to drive a car, and New Albany is beautiful.”
Kasey and Becca Kist moved to New Albany partly because of their shared passion for fitness living in an active community where it's not necessary to drive everywhere is important to them.
Along with day-to-day activities, both Becca and Kasey are dedicated athletes. Kasey is multitalented and focuses on triathlons, while he describes Becca as the runner of the family. They often travel to participate competitively in their respective sports, but New Albany provides extraordinary support. Large groups exist in the community, Kasey says, to train for triathlons including the New Albany Cycling Club and the Masters Swim group.
“No matter what sport you want to do, you can find a really large training group to go with that makes it a lot of fun,” Kasey says.
Their passion for health doesn’t stop with their own athletic endeavors. What is now the New Albany Thanks for Giving 4-Miler began as a small tradition of gathering canned goods and running a race with a few other families. From there, the event organically grew into the large festive and charitable race it is today.
“It brings the community together, it raises a lot of money for some really great charities and it’s just a perfect way to start the Thanksgiving holiday with family, friends and doing something good,” says Kasey.
This desire to give back also permeates throughout their professional lives. When the couple initially learned about Freshii and became interested in starting a franchise, one of the couple’s first thoughts was what a perfect fit it would be for New Albany.
In order to support this mission, several Freshii menu items support charities while the store itself stays sustainable through the use of recyclable and biodegradable materials.
The overwhelmingly positive reactions to Freshii have been beyond what the Kists ever anticipated, but considering their dedication, values and deep connection to the New Albany community, it’s no surprise.
“One of the things we love so much about the brand is that it does stand for what we believe in as a family,” says Becca, “but also what so many people believe in – and that’s about giving back … and taking care of your body.”
Maggie Ash is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
