A pair of local breweries are looking out for some of those who have been hit hard by the government shutdown.

Backward Flag Brewing Co. of Forked River and Heavy Reel Brewing of Seaside Heights are joining forces for the Coasties and Coasters event at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, at Breakers Kitchen and Tap in Waretown.

Both breweries will donate half of their keg sales and Breakers will donate 10 percent of food sales that night to the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer's Association of the Jersey Shore. There will also be a tricky tray auction to support the cause.

Approximately 140 Coast Guard families are set to benefit from the event, according to a statement from George Ramirez, coordinator for the Chief Petty Officer's Association of the Jersey Shore.

Both of the participating Ocean County breweries have ties to the U.S. armed services. Backward Flag founder and CEO Torie Fisher served in Iraq with the U.S. Army, while Heavy Reel owner Jeff Greco is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Breakers Kitchen and Tap is at 537 Route 9 in Waretown. There is no cover charge for the Coasties and Coasters event.

Fisher tells us that Backward Flag will be pouring Vet Juice, a strawberry milkshake New England IPA, and Roadside Donkey, a sour lactose raspberry IPA, while she expects Heavy Reel to bring a kolsch and a stout.

The Coasies and Coasters event continues Backward Flag's tradition of engaging with the armed services community.

The company launched its Forward Assault series of canned beers dedicated to raising awareness for organizations that help veterans in 2018, and continues that series with the Feb. 2 release of Corbin's Cannon smoked stout at its Challenger Way brewery and tasting room.

"It makes it a little more worthwhile," Fisher said of giving back through beer. "The beer business sometimes can be slightly thankless, and so when you're able to do other things with it and bring more people together, it definitely brings a little more value to what we do."