This is a guest post from our friends at Magic Hat Brewing:

After many years of partnership, magnificent Mardi Gras parties and hundreds of volunteer hours, HOPE Works is passing the torch as the beneficiary of Magic Hat’s annual Mardi Gras Weekend in Burlington to pursue new endeavors.

Magic Hat wishes to extend a thousand thanks for so many years of hard work and support, as HOPE Works has been an amazing community partner. Together, Magic Hat and HOPE Works brought Mardi Gras north and took on everything a Vermont winter could throw at them, from snowy streets to beating sun to bitter winds. Over the years, the two groups successfully rallied revelers to raise more than $225,000.

Executive Director of HOPE Works, Cathleen Wilson said, “The Magic Hat Mardi Gras event has been an amazing venue to engage the community and raise funds to support our mission of ending sexual violence. Magic Hat has helped empower us to take the next step in fulfilling the needs of survivors and their families and in preventing future sexual violence.”

Magic Hat and Vermont Foodbank Team Up for Mardi Gras

Magic Hat is pleased to announce that the Vermont Foodbank will hereby be the new beneficiary of proceeds from the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Weekend. The mission of the Vermont Foodbank is to gather and share quality food and nurture partnerships so that no one will go hungry in Vermont. Through a network of over 270 food shelves, meal sites, senior centers and after-school youth programs, they the Foodbank seeks to end the hunger for of the more than 153,000 Vermonters who rely on their services each year.

”We are thrilled to be the non-profit beneficiary of the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Weekend,” said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. “Over the years, Magic Hat has been an ally in the fight against hunger, and we are excited to again partner with them to raise awareness and funds for the Foodbank’s mission.”

A Fond Farewell and a Warm Welcome

Magic Hat is proud to have partnered with such a hard-working group of individuals as at HOPE Works and wishes the group well with their mission and future endeavors.

“We are lucky to work in a community like Burlington where there are so many excellent organizations to partner with,” said Dani Gleason, manager of the Magic Hat Artifactory and Mardi Gras veteran. “We are so grateful to have had HOPE Works’ support and dedication to our Mardi Gras event over the years, and we’re just as excited about working with Vermont Foodbank to celebrate and bring awareness to their mission. We thank the Burlington community for their continued support as we dive in to the next chapter.”

Visit Magic Hat’s Mardi Gras website.

Want the best seat in the house? Create a Mardi Gras float with your company or organization! The deadline for submissions is Dec. 29th. Prizes will be awarded too!