8/25/2017
| G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com
Category: August
By day he’s the assistant managing editor of Reminder Publications, but by night (and weekend) Chris Maza is a dedicated home brewer and beer aficionado.
His love for homebrewing, as well as the craft beer movement, was used to raise funds for a cause also near and dear to his heart, the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE). Maza organized a Homebrew Showcase that took place Aug. 5 at Paddy’s Irish Pub which raised $2,245 for MARE.
See also: Homebrew Showcase for the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchance photo gallery
Maza worked with Blake Bryan, the manager of Paddy’s, in developing the idea. Bryan was “very enthusiastic” about the event, he said. The two men had been talking about organizing a homebrewing event for while when Maza pitched the charity aspect with MARE as the beneficiary, to which Bryan responded, “Count me in."
A former foster father himself, Maza explained wanted to do something to support those involved in state foster care and adoption services and representatives from MARE were at the event to answer questions about the organization’s services.
“There is a tremendous need for support for those who work in our foster care system, the foster and pre-adoptive families and, most importantly, those children who are thrust into a system through no fault of their own and just want a safe place to sleep and a family to love,” Maza said. As the popularity of craft beer and home brewing has grown, so has an extensive network of friendly, compassionate, charitable people. This event exhibited all of this. We had an outstanding turnout – far better than I could have ever anticipated for a first-year event.”
With a donation, attendees were able to sample the work of nine local homebrewers –Drunken Rabbit Brewing, Rustic Brewing Company, Maza’s own Jumping Comet Brewing, Pilgrim’s Brewing, Dignified Winston Brewing, Dudleytown Brewing Company, Riot Brewery, Hamill Brewing Company and Russell Mountain Brewing. Rustic Brewing won the contest portion of the showcase with Lavenous, its lavender milkshake New England IPA.
MARE is a private nonprofit agency founded in 1957 to find “a permanent place to call home” for children and youth in state foster care. MARE does this by recruiting, educating, supporting and advocating for families throughout the adoption process while targeting recruitment to find families for specific children awaiting adoption. MARE has helped move more than 6,000 children from state foster care to adoptive families. MARE represents harder to place children who have no family with whom they will be placed. There are over 800 children in Massachusetts right now who need assistance to find a loving family. This includes sibling groups and children with special needs.