BURLINGTON, Vt. -
A wild parade of green, purple and gold is seen downtown Burlington each year.
"I never seen a frown downtown during Mardi Gras," said Erik Hopwood, the Artifactory Manager at Magic Hat Brewery, which throws the event every year, "everyone is just out having a good time enjoying the colors, the beads, the moon pies."
But beads, masks and climbing trees aside, the weekend is more than just craziness in the streets.
"It's our biggest annual fundraiser," said Cathleen Wilson, executive director for Hope Works, a non-profit agency aimed at ending sexual violence, "it helps to fund our programs, our 24 hour hotline, our advocacy, our medical advocacy, our support groups and our prevention education."
The countdown is on, just four days remain until Mardi Gras, which means thousands of people will line the streets of Burlington wearing their masks and selling accessories like beads in an effort to raise money for Hope Works."
It's the agency's biggest fundraiser for the year and they'll know in just a matter of days if they'll make their goal.
"We are hoping to raise 25 thousand dollars this year," said Wilson.
And to make it all run smoothly, Hopwood says there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, "It takes months and months and probably hundreds of people coordinating this altogether."
The parade starts Saturday at 3pm.
