Kalamazoo celebrates Olympian before departure for Paris

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Discus thrower Andrew Evans is serving up a special sendoff to the Paris Olympics.

The community gathered Saturday at Wax Wings Brewing Co. in Kalamazoo to give Evans their support as he leaves for the Olympics and to celebrate the release of an exclusive beer.

Evans, Portage native and a brewer at Wax Wings, created a small-batch IPA called The Comeback Kid to celebrate his Olympic berth. The can’s design features a photo of Evans at the Olympic trials, an American flag and Olympic references.

Family, friends and local residents came to the brewery the moment it opened to buy cans of the beer or get a pint on tap.

“A lot of these people have had a hand in getting to this point, so it really means a lot to see all the support,” Evans said. “I’ll definitely carry it with me to Paris.”

Even before releasing a new, refreshing drink for the summer, Evans noticed community support growing bigger and bigger since he made Team USA.

“Even something so small as getting the field mowed that I practice in,” Evans said. “The kids are out of school, so it usually gets unattended until football starts up. But people have found out and they take care of that type of stuff. That just means a lot to me.”

Fellow Olympic discus thrower Alex Rose of Grand Rapids, who competes for Samoa, was on hand for the farewell. Evans and Rose practice together, but not often because of their conflicting schedules.

“Me and Alex always hang out at meets and we do the best we can to get together to practice,” Evans said. “It does mean a lot to me that he’s able to get down here with his family and show some support.”

Olympic discus qualifiers are Aug. 5. Medal rounds are Aug. 7.

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