It’s an ale trail for a good cause, as a Comox brewery is teaming up with Comox Valley Search & Rescue to raise funds for a permanent facility in the area.
Land & Sea Brewing officially launched its ‘Home Base’ Black Kölsch on March 31, with all proceeds from the beer going towards CVSAR’s Roofs for Rescuers campaign, aiming to purchase a space to house their equipment and to act as a central location for their team.
“It’s a crushable black lager-ale, that’s got notes of cocoa, it’s bready with cherry-berry fruit and it’s clean and dry,” described head brewer Tessa Gabiniewicz.
She said the Blacktail Kölsch was one of the first beers brewed when Land & Sea opened in 2018, and members of CVSAR have been supporters of the brewery since day one.
Gabiniewicz made 1,200L of the kölsch and it will be available both on tap and in cans following the launch.
Paul Berry, CVSAR information officer noted that since their Roofs for Rescuers campaign got underway, both land and construction costs continue to rise, and their goal to build a post-disaster building has increased to around $2 million.
The organization’s headquarters has been a rented facility at 3001 Moray Ave for the past 25 years, however, Berry added their current home is not adequate for the long-term goal of the volunteer organization.
Throughout the years, their current site has undergone renovations to make it into an effective hub for operations, training and logistics. Berry compares the site to a small fire hall, as the facility securely houses valuable rescue equipment needed for the team in order to respond to the increasing number of calls the organization receives each year.
“There isn’t enough parking for our members and not enough room for training. Other (search and rescue teams) around the province have had new facilities built in a shorter amount of time such as Nanaimo, Parksville and Vernon, and many facilities are on taxpayer-funded land.”
Berry explained the physical location of the space is important for CVSAR’s volunteers as it should have easy access to both highways in the Valley for both members arriving at the building and for dispatching for calls.
Members from CVSAR will be at the brewery Sunday to meet with the public during the fundraiser.
For more information, visit cvgsar.com