Bomberos Have Brews for a Good Cause

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A group of local firefighters will be toasting to a great cause with some unique, home-brewed beer this Saturday.
Bomberos de San Diego, a local non-profit comprised of firefighters and emergency responders within the San Diego Fire Department, will be celebrating their fourth annual Firefighter Home Brew Contest on Saturday Oct. 14 at Little Italy’s Firehouse Museum, starting at 4 p.m.
The event brings together members of the Bomberos organization and other fire-related professionals who share an interest in brewing to showcase their craft beer with attendees and compete in a tasting competition to crown the best suds.
A portion of all proceeds raised from contest entry fees and admission tickets go back into the different programs Bomberos runs. 
SDFD Captain and Bomberos de San Diego President Oscar Saucedo spoke about the Bomberos’ activities and the event with la Prensa San Diego.
“As members of Bomberos de San Diego, we give back to the community by paying dues and holding fundraisers in benefit of scholarship funds, events such as turkey dinners around Christmas time, and to work with different organizations throughout the year.”
“Bomberos also has a binational manager who goes down to our sister city of Tijuana and has meetings with their fire chief and mayor to see how we can help out down there,” Saucedo continued. “We regularly host training sessions with Tijuana firefighters, they either come here or we go over there.”
The Home Brew Contest will have 40 different beers to taste from, many brewed by firefighters. Beers donated from Thorn Street Brewing, Ballast Point, and more local breweries will also be available.
“Last year we sold out the event,” Saucedo shared. “About 500 people showed up last year and we raised about $13,000 from the event.”
The event is not only successful in raising funds, but also has garnered a group of yearly attendees.
“I’ve been going to the (contest) since it first started and it continues to grow and grow because these guys put on a great event for a great cause,” shared San Diego Fire Captain Matt Spicer. “It’s really super fun and the causes supported by these guys are things to truly care about.”
In addition to the annual brewing contest, Bomberos de San Diego also hosts a golf tournament each August as another one of their main fundraising events. The nonprofit also organizes a family day at a San Diego Padres baseball game each season.
Tickets for the fourth annual Firefighter Home Brew Contest are available online and at the door.

Author

Mario A. Cortez