By CLAYTON PARK

Call it fate, call it synergy, call it a brilliant stroke of brand name marketing.

In any case, on the evening of March 18, it finally happened.

A volunteer group called the Thornton Creek Alliance teamed up with a local rock band called Thornton Creek to hold a fundraiser.

The highpoint of the evening came when Crane Horton, founder and president of the Fish Brewing Co. in Olympia, stood up to announce that his company is launching a new line of beer called Thornton Creek Ale, which should become available in local pubs starting in early April.

What's more, $2 from every keg of the beer that is sold will be donated to the Thornton Creek Alliance to aid its efforts to clean up and restore the Thornton Creek Watershed. Horton's comments drew cheers from the crowd of 50 people who packed the tiny Fiddler's Inn pub in Wedgwood.

Fish Brewing Co.'s other brands include Fish Tale Ale India Pale, Fish Tale Mud Shark Porter, Fish Tale Wild Salmon Pale Ale and Fish Tale Trout Stout. Horton also announced that his company has agreed to sponsor more fundraising events for the Thornton Creek Alliance - with music provided by Thornton Creek the band.

It's a partnership that should also provide a welcome boost for Thornton Creek the band, both in terms of exposure and a chance to sell copies of its CDs. Thornton Bowman, the band's lead singer and acoustic rhythm guitarist, joked that "the creek was named after ME!"

Bowman went on to note that both he and fellow bandmate, bassist Steve Miller, grew up in the Thornton Creek Watershed in our tender years."

The band also includes Don Miller on electric lead guitar and Ian Larson on drums.

The earnest roots-rock sound of Thornton Creek's original tunes provided a fitting backdrop for the evening.