Brewers and foodies are uniting at the Marina Restaurant on March 24 in support of Driftwood brewmaster Tim Fukushima, who was diagnosed with leukemia last month and is currently in Vancouver for treatment. Eat Magazine said proceeds from the beer-inspired dinner and silent action will go to Fukushima and his wife, Holly Ball, an employee of the Marina, to help offset some of their costs. Marina chef Jeff Keenliside is putting together a special menu with beer supplied by local craft brewers Driftwood, Lighthouse, Phillips, Hoyne, Vancouver Island and Moon Under Water. The dinner is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with an auction to follow. Tickets are $100 and available at Marina Restaurant, 1327 Beach Dr.; Cook Street Liquor, 230 Cook St.; and Vintage Liquor Store at the Rialto Hotel, 635 Pandora Ave. 

Tender time

Construction managers EllisDon Kinetic have issued a request for qualifications for seven work packages relating to the $170-million Fleet Maintenance Facility project at CFB Esquimalt. The project includes two three- storey buildings comprising 300,000 square feet and an addition and renovation to two existing buildings ... Saanich wants to improve traffic along McKenzie Avenue and has issued a tender for upgrade of McKenzie from McGill Road to Finnerty Road. It includes the installation of rain gardens, a new traffic signal and single-lane roundabout at the intersection of McKenzie and Finnerty. The tender closes April 9 ... The St. Patrick Pump Station in Oak Bay is being upgraded and tenders are out for pump and outfall replacements. Both tenders close March 29. For more information, call Yellow Sheet Construction Data at 250-480-1230.

Orange grower, Thrifty Foods help B.C. kids

A California orange growers’ group and Thrifty Foods have raised more than $80,000 for KidSport B.C. The money was raised through a three-week in-store promotion that saw Thrifty Foods and Buck Brand oranges donate $1 for every five-pound bag of oranges sold go to 12 KidSport chapters. The drive raised $70,874 while Buck Brand owner Lisle Babcock kicked in $10,000. “We want to thank our fantastic customers for picking up not one, but two and three bags of oranges over the three-week fundraiser,” said Thrifty GM Jim Dores. More than 65,000 bags of oranges were sold. The donation means 323 kids will take part in a season of sports.

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