Teams lined up at the top of Church Street wearing rainbow capes, colorful wigs and clear raincoats labeled “Team Trans Parent”. They were there on Saturday October 1 to support LGBTQ+ youth and to compete in Outright Vermont’s annual Fire Truck Pull fundraiser.

Beth Fialko, President of the Burlington Education Association (BEA) and Burlington High School English teacher, led a team of teachers, administration and staff from BHS, Edmunds, Hunt and beyond.

“It’s great to see the adults in our communities taking steps towards making LGBTQ+ youth feel included and respected in our state,” Fialko said.

Fialko’s “BEAutiful” group joined half a dozen other groups from the community. Each group raised at least $3,000 in support of Outright Vermont. Teams participated in either the unlimited participant “Spirit Class” or the 12 person “Sporty Class” which the BEA team won.

“It’s a joyful celebratory event,” Fialko said. “Burlington teachers and para educators want [the people of the LGBTQ+ community] to know that we stand in solidarity with them and they can turn and ask us for anything.”