A new race is coming to the Coast next weekend, challenging participants to persevere while lugging a keg of beer.
Persephone Brewing Company is hosting the Tough Kegger starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, which will see teams of four navigate a seven-kilometre course through Mount Elphinstone while carrying a 60-pound keg of beer.
The one keg and four team members must all cross the finish line at Persephone Brewing to complete the course and earn bragging rights. The race also starts at the brewery.
Following the race there will be a public, all-ages party to celebrate from 5 to 10 p.m., according to Dion Whyte, general manager of Persephone Brewing Co.
“Anyone’s welcome to attend. It’s free. We’re going to have live music. The Matt Watson band is confirmed for the show, DJ Yum Yum is confirmed for the show, and we’re working on one other live band for that,” Whyte said. “Also we’re going to have some food and obviously beverages available on site. It’s a family friendly, all ages kind of thing.”
He hopes to make the race and public party an annual event to benefit the Sunshine Coast Association of Community Living (SCACL), which serves clients with developmental disabilities. “SCACL is a strategic partner in the whole business here at Persephone,” Whyte said.
“They, through their wholly owned subsidiary Persephone Farms Ltd., are deeply involved in the farming of hops on the property here. Employment of persons with developmental disabilities was part of the brewery’s model right from the start. And essentially that’s been our decision, to try to work very closely with that one partner to be able to have a meaningful impact.”
In addition to employing SCACL members, Whyte said Persephone wanted to come up with an annual event to benefit SCACL that could grow each year.
“So we brainstormed and we thought this was a fun idea,” he added.
The only race of its kind in the world, Whyte is hopeful the Tough Kegger will bring out race enthusiasts and beer lovers alike.
Teams of four pay $235 to enter and each participant receives a free drink ticket for the after party, a T-shirt and some Persephone paraphernalia.
Whyte said the event will break even at 15 teams registered (currently there are 13 teams registered) and all of the registration money after that point will go to SCACL.
“They will get 100 per cent of any profits we make,” he noted.
The race can accommodate up to 26 teams, so organizers are hopeful more people will sign up soon. To learn more or to register, go to www.persephone
brewing.com and click on the Tough Kegger logo.
Teams can also register by coming to the brewery in person, by calling 778-462-3007 or by emailing dion@
thebeerfarm.ca before Aug. 16.
Whyte encourages individuals without a team who want to race to contact him as there are other solo racers who can be grouped into a team.
