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Is Sooke home to “Hometown Heroes”?

Are you one of Sooke's athletic Hometown Heroes? Do you know one?

Beer: It’s not just for couch athletes anymore.

Pacific Western Brewing (PWB) Company Ltd., the maker of Cariboo, Pacific, and several other beer beverages, is on the prowl for Hometown Heroes. Selected heroes will receive financial aid through a bursary to help them pursue their passion.

These Heroes can be self nominated (don’t be shy!), or if you know and admire a fellow athlete in Sooke, you can put their name forward.

Pacific Western Brewing (PWB), Official Sponsor of the 2015 Canada Winter Games, has begun the first of four BC-wide searches for Hometown Heroes.

Kazuko Komatsu, owner and CEO of PWB, said: “We are honoured to support the goals of the 2015 Canada Winter Games by identifying and supporting athletes and community leaders and mentors who have shown the potential to become Canada’s future ambassadors.”

Starting New Year’s Day and continuing until Jan. 31st, PWB is accepting applications in the first of four search rounds. Rounds two, three and four will begin April 1, Sept. 1, 2014 and Jan 1, 2015. In each round of the search a Hometown Hero will be selected from each of four regions – Northern BC, Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan/Kootenays.

“At least 16 heroes will be selected from all regions of B.C. in four rounds leading up to the Games in February 2015,” Ms. Komatsu said. “Our heroes will be receiving bursaries representing a portion of PWB proceeds from the sale of our fine products. We started this program in 2002 and we have supported many young athletes and other community heroes whose extraordinary endeavours inspire us all.”

Application to the Hometown Heroes program is open to any B.C. resident currently engaged in sports as an athlete or coach, or otherwise excelling in a community mentoring activity. Applicants must be at least 19 years old. Candidates will demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship; proven interest, ability and passion in the pursuit of their sport; a dedication to their learning with a strong track record of academic success; and, a well-rounded lifestyle including community involvement. Two letters of recommendation by a non-relative also need to be included.

Applications can now submitted directly on their website, http://www.pwbrewing.net/call-to-athletes/

And when you submit your hometown hero to their website, remember to also send the information to the Sooke News Mirror.

According to their website (pwbrewing.net), they are “Canada’s longest running, British Columbian-owned brewery … established in 1957 on a fresh water spring in Prince George, BC.”

And as for the few couch athletes out there, yes, there is a way you too can participate: the amount of each bursary depends on regional beer sales. Everything in moderation, of course.