Great Cause.”

And that’s exactly what’s planned for the first-ever Winter Brewfest to benefit the Youth Wellness Campus in Bremerton. The event is from noon to 5 p.m. on Nov. 1.

“It’s going to be a really fun community event,” said Patricia Hennessy, executive director of the Youth Wellness Campus. “And it supports a great cause.”

The cause is a sports scholarship program overseen by the Youth Wellness Campus.

As Hennessy tells, there are up to 600 youth every year that play sports in the gymnasium that is on the campus.

“That includes a number of leagues,” she said. “Many times we see kids that want to play, but they come from low income homes where there is no money to pay the fees. So with the scholarships, those kids are able to take part in sports. And we use the funds to buy them shoes and uniforms.”

The Youth Wellness Campus is at 3030 Wheaton Way. It is the site of the old East Bremerton High School and the buildings, except for the gymnasium and the practice gym, have been boarded up since 2004.

Recently, the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound’s Teen Center and the Lindquist nonprofit dental center have opened in a brand new building on the campus. Plans are underway for a $4 million nutrition kitchen which will be operated by the Bremerton School District. And in time, 125,000 square feet of old school buildings will be removed and a new $4.7 million Youth Wellness Center and a $3 million Music Pavilion will be built.

Fundraising is underway for these additions and to date the center has received a $1 million grant from the C. Keith Birkenfeld Memorial Trust.

But first things first.

Right now there is a $300,000 roof repair project underway to keep the practice gymnasium in shape. And center officials are working to keep kids playing sports.

That’s the reason for the Winter Brewfest.

“Our mission is keep kids healthy by teaching them about nutrition, advancing their education and their overall health,” Hennessy said. “A big part of that is keeping them engaged in physical activities.”

Because some sports programs in the schools have been limited due to the lack of funds, that’s where the Youth Wellness Campus plans to come in.

“Kids don’t spend enough time outdoors or playing,” she said. “Schools are focusing on academics. We want to help kids understand the importance of their overall health by teaching them about nutrition and by keeping them active.”

The campus already has some gardens underway where kids can learn about growing their own vegetables.

“They are our ‘Seeds of Grace’ gardens and we plan for the produce to go to the Meals on Wheels Program,” she said.

It’s going to take some time before the campus takes shape, Hennessy said. So for now, she’s focusing on the Brewfest.

“It will include live music and games,” she said. “We are welcoming folks to bring down their old Halloween pumpkins and we’re going to have a pumpkin shot put. And then we’ll use the waste for compost for our gardens.”

There’ll be a Pacific Northwest Arms Sports sanctioned arm-wrestling contest.

As for the brews, 10 local beer-makers are participating including Bainbridge Island Brewing, Der Blokken Brewery, Hood Canal Brewery, Rainy Daze Brewing, Sound Brewing, Fremont Brewing, Narrows Brewing, Silver City Brewery, Valholl Brewing and Hale’s Ales, which is the lead sponsor.

“We’re selling out fast,” she said. “So if you’re interested in coming, buy your tickets now.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.youthcampus.org, or at the Boat Shed restaurant. Tickets are $25 for 10 tastes. Additional tokens for more tastes are available at the event.

Attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have identification with them. Designated driver admission is $10, and includes water and soft drinks are no cost. The event is at the campus.