Cheers to Charity 2016, on Saturday, August 13, is shaping up to be the best ever! Aviator Park, located on the Tehachapi Airport property, will be the location for this annual fundraiser. Dozens of shade trees, plenty of parking, and acres of grass will provide a cool venue for the warm summer night.

Cheers to Charity, a project of COMMUNITY CLEAN SWEEP, benefits Tehachapiarea charities and features live music, mouth-watering tapas and generous food plates, scrumptious wines and skillfully made craft and home brewed beers.

The Home Brew Competition is the centerpiece of the Cheers to Charity event. As the only competition of its kind in Greater Tehachapi, at least ten beers will be available for sampling and judging by event participants. This year's contest will offer IPAs, stouts and lagers. Area contestants are excited about vying for top bragging rights and have already begun to brew their masterpieces. In addition to brewing a perfect blend, the Cheers to Charity Home Brewers have even developed clever names for their entries including: "Tehacharye Session IPA", "Wolf Among Hops", "Railroad Stout" and "Cream Dream".

According to Michael Dillenbeck, the Cheers to Charity Home Brew Supervisor, "some of this year's brewers are seasoned veterans while others are new to the craft. The characteristic they all have is a passion for good beer and a zeal for brewing (and sharing) their best effort. It is going to be an awesome contest, and it is one of the elements that sets us apart." All participants are excited about pouring their brew and getting their name out there in the Home Brew world.

Cheers to Charity will benefit local nonprofits including: Gateway Connections, Tehachapi Mountain Search & Rescue and Tehachapi Veteran's Collaborative Services. The Rotary Club of Tehachapi, Tehachapi Economic Development Council, Tehachapi VALLEY WRESTLING CLUB and Stallion Springs CERT will also profit as they join the Cheers to Charity team in putting the event on.

Mini-grants will be available, for additional nonprofit groups, following the event. Last year, Cheers to Charity distributed $26,000 and benefitted 17 local nonprofit organizations.

Sponsors are: BHE Renewables, Aspen Builders, Airstreams Renewables, Advantage Real Estate Group, Sangera Subaru, Tammy Engel - Mortgage Advisor, Sun Select, Brookfield Renewables, South Street Digital, District 2 Supervisor Zack Scrivner, EG and Frankie Berchtold, Rio Tinto, Cash The Wonder Dog, Chris & Bruce Zigtema, Bill Koats Insurance, Bank of the Sierra, Dave's Auto, Isle of Skye, Sim Sanitation, BH Creations, Hall Ambulance, Berchtold Equipment, Dewey Pest Control, Fastrip, Lara & Mike Berard, Marty Pay Insurance, and Witts for the Office. The Loop Newspaper, Bear Valley Cub, Tehachapi News, Bakersfield California and Santa Clarita Signal are media sponsors.

Tickets are available online at Eventbrite.com and at Veritas Tapas and Wine Bar or Don Juans Grill. General Admission tickets are $55.00 through August 12 and $75.00 at the door. VIP tickets are $100 in advance only.

Raise your glass and help raise money, as we cheer on Tehachapi Charities!