When Canadian Armed Forces medic Andrew "Boomer" Eykelenboom's remains were brought back to Canada, his mother vowed to keep his memory alive while befitting her son's legacy.
Maureen Eykelenboom even stared down the Canadian Forces chief of defence staff at the time, Rick Hillier, to draw from him a pledge of support.
And last week, Howe Sound Brewing pledged to help her as well with the launch of "Boomer's Canadian Red Ale," and a commitment to send a portion of sales to Boomer's Legacy Fund.
During a ceremony at Royal Roads University in Victoria on Saturday (Nov. 6), the beer was unveiled in front of a crowd 250, including Hillier, Boomer Eykelenboom's family, friends and military personnel - some travelling from as far away as Ottawa.
"A company that is so innovatively willing to think way outside of the box and to join with a cause that is helping our soldiers help others as well as to provide a product where a portion of the proceeds will go to the charity, is truly remarkable," said Maureen Eykelenboom at the unveiling.
Hillier also spoke at the launch, and relived the moment he first met Boomer Eykelenboom's mother, according to Howe Sound Brewing president Dave Fenn.
"[Rick Hillier said] meeting Maureen for the first time she was such a driving force right from the very beginning. She had her finger in his stomach saying 'You know we've got to do something to help people in the field.'"
Another of Hillier's points was that initiatives like Boomer's Legacy Fund "compels our soldiers rather than the bureaucracy."
Based on stories about the much-loved medic from British Columbia, Fenn said he was not surprised to see so many people dedicated to continuing Boomer's cause.
"[Boomer] operated as a medic and had a real concern for the people in Afghanistan and what they were going through," said Fenn.
"When family and friends were offering to send things over to him, he said 'I don't need anything but please send things for villagers who are here.'"
The legacy fund created by Maureen Eykelenboom after her son was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan on Aug. 11, 2006 - five days after his last phone call home to say he would be back soon.
It's accessible to soldiers on patrol who discover worthwhile projects that have fallen through the cracks, such as shoes for kids, a generator for a water pump, a herd of sheep or medical supplies.
These types of initiatives were what Boomer Eykelenboom was all about, said his mother.
"Andrew would show compassion to anyone who had any form of disability," she said.
"Like the time in the grocery store when Andrew at [15 years of age] had gone off to pick up the things that he liked in his school lunches, but instead his Mom found him kneeling beside a gentleman with physical and mental challenges, in a wheelchair, helping him get the things that were on his list. Or when he gave his brand new toque and gloves to the homeless person he saw looking in the dumpsters one cold morning."
Fenn said he saw Boomer's Legacy Fund as revolutionary in some respects because historically any money spent in a foreign country would go through the whole national bureaucracy.
"It empowers soldiers to identify people in need in the villages where they're operating and to make decisions on where money can go directly," said Fenn.
And Boomer's two bothers, who also attended the launch, said Boomer would have loved the idea of his own Red Ale.
Howe Sound Brew Pub general manager Trevor Magee said the company wanted to get involved in supporting soldiers helping others. It's not, however, an indication of its pro or anti-war sentiments.
"We're not trying to make a statement about our position on the war, we just want to be able to support the troops that are on the ground," he said.
"Not specifically for the Canadian Armed Forces but for the soldiers trying to do some good in the communities that they're in."
Boomer's Red Ale is the first in a program called Ales for Change, said Magee.
"We'll be working with nature groups and environmental groups and always looking for an opportunity to help contribute to community projects, fundraisers or anything that makes sense for the community or a specific group."
Under the new program, a designated beer will be sold for a specified non-profit cause, with each beer being marketed for approximately three months.
Boomer's Red Ale will be available this week throughout the province at the B.C.'s liquor distribution outlets.
