“Man, they want me to wear this big hat,” says Trenton Boster, a Lawrence High School junior, with a skeptical smile.

Though Boster isn’t sure whether he’ll commit to playing The Mad Hatter for his team’s “Alice In Wonderland” boat, he’s sure about the results that he and his Van Go artist friends’ hard work has created for this year’s boat parade.

“They’re trying to make it better than last year,” he says, “and right now it looks like it will be.”

Saturday’s “What Floats Your Boat?” parade will showcase a creative armada decorated by artists ages 14-18 in the Van Go Mobile Arts’ JAMS program, which provides education and visual arts opportunities to at-risk youths in Lawrence. They’ve been busy with the preparations.

Melanie Bolden, a 2005 graduate of LHS and a Van Go artist, says her group members had their work cut out for them. They were given a pontoon boat, with multiple levels to decorate.

“Our boat was sponsored by Party America, and we wanted to give it a tropical theme. We had to paint birds and palm trees,” Bolden says. “We didn’t get to make as many decorations last year.”

The inaugural event launched eight boats, this year’s fleet has burgeoned to 15. Volunteers walked the Clinton Lake Marina to get boat commitments from locals.

Heather Hoy, development director at Van Go, was happy with the success of the fundraiser’s maiden voyage last year: Instead of the roughly 150 people expected to attend, more than 350 showed up.

Terry Riley, a Free State High School sophomore, paints a parrot that will be used to decorate a boat for a Saturday boat parade that will benefit Van Go Mobile Arts.

“I was overwhelmed by the cross-section of the community that came out for the event,” Hoy says. “We weren’t sure what to expect.”

Hoy attributes the success to Lawrence’s philanthropic spirit and the grass-roots solidarity associated with the organization.

“We’ve been amazed by the amount of sponsorships,” she says of this year’s parade. “Businesses recognize the value of not only what we’re doing in the community but the ability to put your name on this event.”

Nancy O’Connor, nutrition educator and marketing director at the Community Mercantile Co-op, 901 Iowa, one of the event’s primary sponsors, says the store has high hopes for Van Go.

“The outcome we want for Van Go is not just to give a donation, but that it will be a seed the organization will take and grow more,” O’Connor says. “They are really out there for kids for whom there are not a lot of other opportunities, and they do it with such good respect.”

With 15 boats launching Saturday, the parade should definitely attract attention. The Van Go artists designed and built their decorations last week and will deck out their boats before the event on Saturday.

Creativity and enthusiasm have been running high. Themes include Boster’s team’s “Alice in Wonderland” boat, featuring characters from the book; Bolden’s team’s tropical pontoon boat; and a rock ‘n’ roll boat with a live band. Spectators will watch the parade pass from shore and will even be able to catch a cruise in their favorite boats after the parade.

To determine the best of the best, Van Go has enlisted the help of judges – the federal and county court variety – to make the tough decisions. Judges John Lungstrum, Steve Six and Robert Fairchild will “preside” over the event.

Festivities will continue with dinner and drinks by McGonigle’s BBQ of Kansas City, a live auction of Van Go artists’ work, and music by LeRoy Brown and the Gold Combo.

Organizers hope it will be an evening to remember. Perhaps the best approach for those deciding whether to attend is hidden in Trenton Boster’s attitude about whether to don a Mad Hatter getup for his team’s float.

“If the hat fits, I’ll wear it,” he says. “Otherwise I’m not even going to mess with it.”